Daniel Abt secures Formula E return with NIO after Audi axe
Daniel Abt will see out the remainder of the 2019/2020 Formula E season after landing a drive with the NIO 333 team just weeks after he was controversially axed from Audi’s line-up.
Abt got into hot water with the German firm after using a professional sim racer to compete in an esports event for him. With that driver going on to finish in third position, the ruse was quickly discovered with Abt initially disqualified and fined 10,000 euros.
However, worse was to follow when Audi went to the lengths of annulling his contract with immediate effect, forcing him out of a team he had competed with in FE from the very beginning in 2014.
Nonetheless, Abt will get to complete the Formula E season after being drafted in by the Chinese-backed NIO 333 team to replace Ma Qing Hua.
He will partner Oliver Turvey in what will be an unusual end to the Season 6 of the all-electric series, with six races to ne held in the space of nine days, all at the Berlin Templehof Airport Street Circuit.
Despite the somewhat acrimonious split between the two parties, Audi took to Twitter to congratulate its former driver at securing an alternative deal.
Congratulations on the signing of @Daniel_Abt for the @FIAFormulaE races in Berlin, @NIO333FormulaE. Daniel often proved his performance at Tempelhof. We wish him well and look forward to competing with him on track.#ABBFormulaE https://t.co/hXPgSH8mhd
— Audi Sport (@audisport) July 1, 2020
He is just one of a handful of driver changes ahead of an intense week of racing with Abt’s position in the Audi team assumed by DTM champion Rene Rast, who is expected to be announced as Abt's full-time replacement for the 2020/2021 season, while Alex Lynn takes over Pascal Wehrlein’s seat at Mahindra ahead of the German's expected swap to Porsche next season.
