Rene Hast to drive for Team Aguri at the Berlin ePrix

It has been announced this morning by the Team Aguri team via Twitter that Rene Rast will be driving for Team Aguri this weekend in Berlin, in place of Antonio Felix da Costa who has prior DTM commitment to adhere to.

In a statement given via the team's press release this morning, Rast is looking forward to driving the car on the streets of Berlin and believe that he could be useful to the team this weekend. Rast stated the following:-

Driving a Formula E car on the streets of Berlin will be something very special and I'd like to thank the team for this great opportunity. I have been in the simulator for the last few days to get a good feel for the car.

While these cars have their own unique demands, I am confident that I can get up to speed quickly and use my experience in energy management to deliver a strong result for the team.

I would also like to thank my manager Dennis Rostek from Pole Promotion, who worked with Audi Sport, Hans Joachim Stuck the President of DMSB, and long-term partner Porta Möbel to secure this drive.

If you haven't heard of Rene Rast; he is an accomplished GT racer, with three Porsche Supercup championships, as well as victory in the GT class of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012. He has also competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Audi.

There have been strong rumours circulating on social media that Adam Carroll was due to replace da Costa, with the team even nominating him as their listed driver for the event. The contract agreement has since fallen through, therefore Rast's entry has to be signed off by the stewards in order to replace Carroll.

In his own statement via the team press release this morning, Team Aguri Team Principal Mark Preston believes that putting Rast in the car this weekend in Berlin is the right choice. Preston said the following:-

There has been a lot of speculation about who would stand in for Antonio and we have been in contact with a number of drivers. While we came close to agreements with some other famous names, Rene's energy management skills, professional approach and pace made him an obvious choice.

We are sure that the fans in Berlin will be very supportive of another home favourite and that he can give his fellow LMP drivers a run for their money. Our thanks go to Audi for providing their permission for René to race with us

Rast will race with the #55 on his car, subject to FIA approval.

Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa