Professional Audi Formula E driver Daniel Abt admitted guilt over using a professional esports driver to compete for him in a virtual Formula E race.
Following a race on Saturday for which Abt claimed third place, the second place finisher, former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne, voiced his concern about Abt’s cheating. “I had an okay start, and then Daniel came up the inside – to be honest, I’m questioning if it was really Daniel in the car,” Vandoorne said in a post-race interview with those who took top spots in the race. Abt’s camera feed is on screen during the interview, but only shows black and Abt never speaks.
By this point users in Youtube chat are also questioning Abt’s performance, with some calling for him to be banned.
In a second interview soon after the race, competitor Jean-Éric Vergne made sure to mention Abt before the interview finished. “One thing – please ask Daniel Abt to put his Zoom on next time he’s driving, because like Stoffel said I’m pretty sure it wasn’t him.”
This was in reference to Abt’s video feed during the race, which had the driver’s face almost entirely obscured.
Vergne seemed to be a good sport about it, joking about hiring the best simulation drivers and gamers to drive for him.
Formula E driver caught cheating
Once the accusations were made, the Formula E Race at Home Challenge organizers investigated. The smoking gun reportedly came when the racer’s IP address was checked, determining Abt couldn’t have been behind the wheel. The person who was actually racing was Lorenz Hoerzing, a professional esports driver.
Abt released a statement admitting guilt. “I would like to apologize to Formula E, all of the fans, my team and my fellow drivers for having called in outside help during the race on Saturday. I did not take it as seriously as I should have. I am aware that my offence has a bitter aftertaste, but it was never meant with any bad intention.”
But why would a professional Formula E driver even need to cheat during a virtual race? Vergne may have provided some insight when asked what part of simulation racing he’s finding most difficult to adapt to. “You don’t drive in the normal way at all, so you need to put in a lot of practice. I don’t want to spend too much time into a game that’s not going to help my racing in any sort.”
