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Why Audi's newest FE driver is almost a risk-free bet

OPINION: In replacing the ousted Daniel Abt with two-time DTM champion Rene Rast, Audi has found the strongest possible candidate - regardless of the loyalty it traditionally affords drivers within its fold

Matt Kew Jun 19, 2020, 3:21 PM

Since the Volkswagen Group was embroiled in the emissions scandal, it has been on a purge of its fossil fuel-burning motorsport programmes. World Endurance, Rally, Rallycross, Touring Car Cup, IMSA GTLM and DTM attacks have been - or will soon be - mothballed as it powers to clean up a reputation that was dragged through a mire worth £25 billion in fines.

Not unrelated, the automotive titan has embarked on an electric motorsport assault. Both Audi and Porsche compete in Formula E, the VW ID.R set records up the Pikes Peak hillclimb and around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and sub brand Cupra will enter Pure eTCR. These new outlets have afforded chances for Andre Lotterer, Neel Jani, Roman Dumas and Mattias Ekstrom most notably to be rehomed within the various brands.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.