Rene Rast is one of the most talented drivers on Formula E’s grid. Born in Minden, Germany, Rast has been interested in motorsport since he was 10 years old, when he started professional karting.
At his young age, he won the renowned ICA Junior Kartcup race in North Germany in 2001, and a year later triumphed in the German-wide competition of the same name.
Rast has forged an important bond with Team Audi throughout his career. In DTM, he disputed an excellent first campaign in 2017 where he won the trophy. By 2018, he finished second overall in the championship standings, despite mastering the final stages with six consecutive victories. A year later, he claimed back the title with a spectacular 18-round performance, with seven wins and six podiums.
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In 2020, Rast overcame the COVID-19 pandemic onslaught to finish Audi’s season in the German touring car championship on a high note, becoming the only driver to win three titles in a row and the most successful factory racer in the team’ history.
The German driver also has other racing recognitions that include a streak of championship wins in Porsche Supercup between 2010 and 2012, endurance victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours, as well as overall accolades in the ADAC GT Masters 2014.
Formula E arrival
Rast made his debut appearance in the electric single-seater category in 2016, replacing Antonio Félix da Costa at the Berlin E-Prix. But it wasn’t until 2019 when he climbed into the Audi e-tron FE06 and be appointed as a regular driver instead of Daniel Abt.
In the present campaign, he is seventh on the overall standings, a meritorious performance within one of the closest competitions with the highest number of different winners in each of the races that have taken place so far.
Uncertain Future
Although Rast has repeatedly stated how comfortable and excited he feels at Formula E, his long-standing alliance with Audi could keep him away from the series, as the manufacturer recently announced it will not participate in Season 8.
Given this situation, he has left the door open for his return to DTM in 2022, with Audi’s support. In fact, Rast intends to continue being part of the brand’s factory driver roster until his career comes to an end.
“I’m focused on Formula E now and whatever comes after will have to be discussed. I see myself in the long-term with Audi, so I hope to be part of whatever program comes next, whether it’s the LMDh category or whatever. Perhaps DTM again is another option,” Rast stated about his next steps.
“I need to see what comes next. DTM is an option I like, even though the cars are slower now than in previous years. They are no longer prototypes, so for a driver it is a bit less entertaining. Still, the important thing was to keep DTM’s platform, maintain its support series and everything around the championship,” he finished.
Written by I Jhonattan González
