Audi announced the suspension of its Formula E driver Daniel Abt after he was caught cheating in an official esports race by getting a professional gamer to race in his place.
The 27-year-old racing driver was fined 10,000 euros ($11k in current exchange rates) after the reveal, with pro-gamer Lorenz Hoerzing identified to be the man racing in Abt’s shoes after organizers checked the IP addresses.
Read More: Formula E’s Daniel Abt Fined For Using Professional Sim Racer In Esports Race
“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. He directly apologized for this on the following day and accepted the disqualification”, said Audi in a statement.
“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,” the company concluded.
Despite Audi using the term “suspension”, several outlets believe that this is just a polite way of saying he’s fired from the team. Abt had a 12-month contract with Audi and has been participating in the real-life Formula E championship since the beginning, in 2014, having won two races so far.
Daniel Abt issued an apology last Sunday following the reveal of his deception: “I did not take it as seriously as I should have. I am especially sorry about this because I know how much work has gone into this project on the part of the Formula E organization. I am aware that my offense has a bitter aftertaste, but it was never meant with any bad intention. Of course, I accept my disqualification from the race.”