Audi suspends Formula E driver for bizarre sim racing imposter incident Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Audi suspends Formula E driver for bizarre sim racing imposter incident Abt punishment? News by Martin Robinson Editor-in-chief Updated on 26 May 2020 26 comments Daniel Abt, the German racing driver who's become a fixture on the Formula E grid since the series' inception in 2014, has seemingly lost his drive with Audi Sport after a bizarre series of events during this weekend's Race at Home Challenge esports series. During this weekend's race, where many of the real-world drivers took to rFactor 2 to compete in an event backed by Formula E's organisers, it became increasingly apparent that Abt had employed a ringer to drive in his place. Suspicions emerged when Abt became much more competitive than he had been in previous rounds, and were further roused by the Zoom feed purporting to show Abt having the driver obscured by various equipment. Some drivers took it in good humour, with Stoffel Vandoorne attempting to call Abt's mobile and receiving no reply. A subsequent investigation using the associated IP address confirmed Abt had employed professional sim racer Lorenz Hoerzing. Abt was subsequently disqualified - as was Hoerzing from any future Race at Home Challenge events - and fined 10,000 EUR, although his bosses at Audi Sport have taken matters further. "Daniel Abt did not drive his car in qualifying and the race at the fifth event of the Race at Home Challenge on May 23 himself, but let a professional Sim-Racer do so," reads the official statement from Audi (as reported by The Race). "He directly apologised for this on the following day and accepted the disqualification. "Integrity, transparency and consistent compliance with applicable rules are top priorities for Audi - this applies to all activities the brand is involved in without exception. For this reason, Audi Sport has decided to suspend Daniel Abt with immediate effect." It's not the first time that a real-life racer has found themselves in trouble for their exploits in the virtual events that have arisen in motorsport's absence, with NASCAR's Kyle Larson fired from Chip Ganassi Racing after using a racial slur during an iRacing event. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store