Biography René Rast
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The double DTM champion
Starting from the sixth race of the season René Rast will take over the cockpit of former regular driver Daniel Abt. Rast has been a member of the Audi family since 2009 and secured his second title in 2019 in his third full DTM season.
Rast set as many as five new DTM records in the 2019 season: The Audi driver won his second DTM drivers’ title with a 72-point advantage – the biggest in DTM history. He is the first DTM driver to secure the title twice in his first three DTM years. He scored 35 points in qualifying alone, started from the front row of the grid 13 times and from pole position seven times – thus surpassing the record set by Nicola Larini, who had started from the front row twelve times in 1993.
For his fourth full season for Audi Sport Team Rosberg, that Rast contests parallel to Formula E, the defending champion is approaching his title with this motto: “To be at least as successful as last year and win all three titles for Audi again.”
René Rast’s unusual career within the Volkswagen Group took him from the Polo Cup to Le Mans and now to the DTM. He won the Porsche Supercup, which is staged as part of Formula 1, three times. Since 2011 he has been active under the sign of the four rings. At the wheel of the GT3 sports car Audi R8 LMS, he is considered the benchmark and guarantor of success. His victories at the 24-hour races in Daytona, Spa and at the Nürburgring underline this, as does winning the ADAC GT Masters title.
“I’ve been following Formula E very closely for a long time and am now looking forward to this new challenge,” says René Rast, who also has respect for the jump into the new series. “The demands on the drivers in Formula E are high: In addition to pure speed, it’s also a question of efficiency, battery management and the perfect strategy – and all of this on tight city circuits, where things are usually quite turbulent.”
Together with his partner Diana and his son Liam, born in 2016, the German lives in Bregenz on the Austrian side of Lake Constance. His apartment has its own simulator on which he regularly trains for the DTM. In everyday life, René Rast drives an Audi RS 6 Avant. “With a child we need a little more space, that’s why this Audi is ideal,” says Rast. The race driver has long since gotten used to the role of the family man. “Having a child is mega. I really enjoy the time at home. It gives me strength for my next assignments on the race track.”
Biography
Date of birth: October 26, 1986
Place of birth: Minden (D)
Place of residence: Bregenz (A)
Marital status: partner Diana, one son (Liam)
Height/weight: 1.79 m/64 kg
Motorsport since: 1996 (Audi driver since 2009)
Career:
1996–2002 Kart
2002 1st place German ICA Junior Kart Cup
2003 Formula BMW ADAC
2004 Formula BMW ADAC
2005 1st place ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup
2006 2nd place Seat León Supercopa
2007 10th place Porsche Carrera Cup, 8th place 24 Hours Nürburgring
2008 1st place Porsche Carrera Cup, 6th place Porsche Supercup
2009 2nd place Porsche Supercup, VLN (Audi R8 LMS)
2010 1st place Porsche Supercup, ADAC GT Masters
2011 1st place Porsche Supercup, 5th place Porsche Carrera Cup, ADAC GT Masters (Audi R8 LMS)
2012 1st place Porsche Supercup, 1st place Porsche Carrera Cup, 1st place 24h Spa (Audi R8 LMS ultra), 1st place GT Class 24h Daytona, ADAC GT Masters (Audi R8 LMS ultra)
2013 2nd place GT class 24 Hours Daytona (Audi R8 GRAND-AM), 6th place FIA GT Series, 6th place ADAC GT Masters, Blancpain Endurance Series (each Audi R8 LMS ultra)
2014 1st place ADAC GT Masters, 1st place 24 Hours Nürburgring, 1st place 24 Hours Spa, 6th place Blancpain GT Series (each Audi R8 LMS ultra)
2015 2nd place FIA GT World Cup Macau (Audi R8 LMS)
2016 1st place GTD class 24 Hours Daytona (Audi R8 LMS), 5th place LMP2 class FIA Endurance World Championship WEC, 3rd place 24 Hours Spa (Audi R8 LMS), 23rd place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM)
2017 1st place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 3 wins, 3rd place 24 Hours Daytona
2018 2nd place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 7 wins, 1st place Nations Cup Race of Champions
2019 1st place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 7 wins
2020 DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), ABB FIA Formula E (Audi e-tron FE06)
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