Why Audi Is Right To Suspend Daniel Abt

[Austin Ogonoski]

Abt's statement in full. Audi is looking completely psychotic for the punishment they gave out.

In Full: Read Daniel Abt’s esports scandal statement

Following his controversy in Formula E's Race at Home Challenge and subsequent suspension by Audi, Daniel Abt has explained the

www.motorsportweek.com

So the summary is this.

The drivers for the most part hate rFactor 2 and hate being forced into these events for a variety of reasons, but have been really happy with the fan participation, and individual drivers' streams have actually gotten more views than the official Formula E broadcast. They have essentially turned into impromptu YouTube personalities.

Abt and a few other people came up with the idea of having a sim racer drive under Abt's name to show how top level sim racers are on pace with real world drivers. They openly talked about this on his streams in the days leading up to the race, and all of his regular viewers knew this was coming. They even began documenting the weekend and were editing it into a YouTube video to help promote sim racing and basically have a laugh because everyone is bored at home with nothing else to do.

Audi decided this was too much fun and fired him.

That's what I got from his statement.

Alright, so what's next week's scandal?

 

[LTLGamer1]

I just had an odd thought: why not get the 'ringer' and see how good he is in the real world.

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

This is terrible. This poor white woman was being racist in a park, NOT at her work, but yet her company still fired her anyways. She was at the park on her own accord, they were NOT paying her at the time... but they still gave her the axe. Surely they're over reacting, just like Audi is? I mean, she wasn't representing her company while she was being racist, so they have no reason to fire her, right?

Because being a racist prick and having your mate drive a few laps for you in a video game is the same thing.

 

[CrimsonEminence]

This is terrible. This poor white woman was being racist in a park, NOT at her work, but yet her company still fired her anyways. She was at the park on her own accord, they were NOT paying her at the time... but they still gave her the axe. Surely they're over reacting, just like Audi is? I mean, she wasn't representing her company while she was being racist, so they have no reason to fire her, right?

MIxing apples with pears...

Nope...just playing a game. Fine for gaming is okay. As soon as he lets somebody else drive his car in real life ( non pc), than i would understand that Audi lets him go.
Playing a game is different than racing real life...but most people tend to think gaming is reality...

The core of this is not wrong.

The big factor, that comes into play is representing brands and sponsors...and there, this whole deal does quite some harm to sim racing AND motorsports.

Sponsors want to make sim racing something, it isn't. Because of THEM, sim racing is not "just a game" anymore.

This is so silly.

 

[boxer]

He puts Audi in an embarrassing situation and he got sacked no surprise there.
That's why F1 drivers always have a PR team member with them.

Had he come out right out after the race and before it all blew up most likely everything would have been fine.

He has only himself to blame. Also calling the event just a game is not a good reason... It's a form of entertainment/competition just like real racing is... If it's not your thing then it's easy don't participate.

I'm sure this will blow over and he will find a seat somewhere else.

 

[Jan Larsen]

Feeling worthless is bound to happen to anyone, but wishing ill on someone else when he just didn't feel like playing a video game and wasn't going to profit from it is really pushing it.

Thats not the point. The race was not 'just a game', it was his actual job Audi hired him to do. He failed and got fired. Its like you and me sending someone else to do our job. It may be done better, but it still dosent change the fact you didnt show up to do a job YOU were hired to do.

 

[1nProgress]

This is terrible. This poor white woman was being racist in a park, NOT at her work, but yet her company still fired her anyways. She was at the park on her own accord, they were NOT paying her at the time... but they still gave her the axe. Surely they're over reacting, just like Audi is? I mean, she wasn't representing her company while she was being racist, so they have no reason to fire her, right?

Let me be blunt. Please wake-the-letter-after-E up and recognize what is really going on here. This forum is about sim racing but nope, cannot let this one comment right here slide.

Fact. People have been killed by a police acting on false perceptions, misinformation and outright lies from people JUST LIKE this woman calling police to ‘help’. She meant to literally mislead the Police to bring some punitive action toward this man. When the fact is she was completely in the wrong. 100%.

Too many times, far far too many times people of color in particular have been wrongly accused, killed, jailed, fired and more. What company wants someone like that on the payroll? What would keep her from pulling a similar act at work if some other Black man catches her doing wrong and her first response is to lie and flip the truth upside down? Ask yourself that.

 

[mr Sw1tchblade]

Personally i am against Daniel Abt suspension, and other sanctions irl against drivers caused by e-sport.
Because simracing software and hardware still far from perfect.
Also i think :no car damage simulation - no sport.
Until your BMW/Ferrari/ McDonald's emblem/car can't be raped in e-sport race, do not touch drivers.

 

[Knoxstar]

JEV FADc... read my lips. Cheaters are cheaters and supporting them by calling this "just a game" with sponsors, TV and manufacturer plus a charity is snubbing your nose and showing your true colours as elitists that think you are better than us. I have supported every FE race since the first one. I will no longer support this series in virtual or real unless all drivers adnit that it was wrong and I hope the series dies as a result of your non-compliance. I have zero respect for you as drivers and human beings.

 

[RafPer]

If the whole thing was really supposed to be a joke, why not attend the post race interview and let everyone know what was going on? He could then praise the skills of the hired sim racer and admit he was not up to the task. His video sounded like a big excuse by someone caught on the act.

To me it does not matter how this is “just a game”. At the end this showed his personality and Audi has the right to decide who will represent the brand. If he was playing an online poker tournament with an Audi t-shirt and caugh cheating, I bet the consequence would be the same. This social media World we live in have no mercy!

 

[KittX]

Just to put things into perspective...

March 2010. Carl Edwards, multiple laps down, intentionally taps Brad Keselowski in the left rear quarter panel as "payback" for a long list of incidents. Air gets under the car, physics take over, and the drivers' side A-pillar makes contact with the concrete wall at around 160mph. It's luck of the draw that Keselowski isn't decapitated in the car. Edwards is put on probation and does not miss any races despite coming inches away from a manslaughter charge.

May 2020. Daniel Abt plays a prank in an online race and has someone else race under his name. Loses his job completely.

Just to be clear, that's where we're at with this garbage.

You've always been so good at manipulation of facts to draw conclusions you want to push... So one team has better discipline standards than another completely unrelated team, and because of that the simracing is garbage?

The drivers for the most part hate rFactor 2 and hate being forced into these events for a variety of reasons, but have been really happy with the fan participation, and individual drivers' streams have actually gotten more views than the official Formula E broadcast. They have essentially turned into impromptu YouTube personalities.

But what was in the contract - becoming a youtuber and performing silly pranks, or performing with a certain level of professionalism, as a representative of the racing team, brand etc? And ffs, "drivers hate rfactor2" why on earth should it even matter? How come the questionable statement that "drivers hate this title, drivers hate that title" became an excuse for silly behaviour? Again, if big tracks were closed and everyone was forced to race karts, will the hate for karts be an excuse for drivers ruining it for everyone else? No matter how realistic or unrealistic the sim is, no matter how many bugs it has, it's part of your job now. If you hate it - leave it for someone else.

were editing it into a YouTube video to help promote sim racing and basically have a laugh because everyone is bored at home with nothing else to do.

Audi decided this was too much fun and fired him.

Why do you assume "because everyone is bored at home" - everyone now needs boring pranks or jokes, or other gossip, is it the only fun that's left? Do you watch racing for that especially? Well, I'm sure there are people that watch race streams for good racing action. Pranks, sillyness, gossip - Youtube is already full of that.

 

[Urlauber]

When viewing the driver from his webcam, the face of the person sat in his cockpit was obscured, again casting suspicions that were fuelled yet further as Abt claimed to be unavailable for post race interviews due to 'technical issues' with his internet connection.

So he knew it's not a good idea. If it all was just for the lulz then he could've easily made that interview or let his "ghost driver" do it. Naa, Audi was right.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

Well Audi took a hard stance, as since Dieselgate, they can't really let cheating go with just a slap on the wrist. Abt knew that, and took the gamble anyway. If other professional drivers on social media want to make a fuss about it, fine, go for it, but they are gullible if they get out of the "game" on a tantrum like they apparently have posted on Twitter.

And Audi did what Audi did.

"Just a prank bro" or "just a joke" is also an internet excuse that has stopped working around the turn of the last century.

End of story.

 

[Roman1987]

It was no cheating imho, because there was nothing he could gain from this. It was just a not well thought through prank. I am pretty confident if he would go to a sporting court they would need to decide in his favor because again there was no benefit to gain. This whole race is just a PR/marketing event. What I am shocked about is the witch hunt against him especially in the BILD newspaper they are again at their best destroying people and their lives with their lurid headlines and their one sided views. It is distgusting.

 

[NobbyRacing2015]

this whole thing over a game race simulation, which has nothing to do with the real thing at all ... and than Audi wants to part ways with Daniel ABT over a unrealistic race simulation, really I mean seriously ... and they do the whole thing for nothing, they don't get money or any prizes etc. ... it just for fun to basically bridge the time till they can start racing again for real ... we all make mistakes at some point in time and Audi of all should know a song to sing about it ... did Audi fire all those that were involved in the creating of the emission cheating software, NO they di not !!! But Audi goes and fires Daniel ABT over a PC Game PC Race Simulation, because someone else was driving instead of Daniel ABT himself ... after being caught Daniel ABT donated the 10.000 euros right away ... so he paid his due and that's it ... To me it seems like Corona makes People more stupid and makes them do irrational decisions with every day this thing is going on ...Dear god, please make this Corona things stop so people start acting normal again ... getting fired because of a Race Simulation Game ... wow ... what's next ...?

 

[Germain Entete]

People should stop the drama. Abt was not banned for ever from motorsports racing. He was only fired by its current employer, something that happens every day for countless people in the world.
He tried to cheat the system, be it a game, it was still in the public sphere and engaging his sponsors and mentors. There is no reason why Audi would not fire him for indirect prejudice. Abt just has to deal with it, take it as an adult and move on to some new adventures.

 

[Mark Ratzenbacher]

While Abt is trying to hand out explanations, his actions tell another story. Instead of telling the truth he's creating a heartwarming fairy-tale.

"the fans are most important" , "these events are for the fans", and then "these events are not important" are quotes from the video-statement. Pretty contradictory.

He was there as a representative for the sport and his brand not as a private person. Fans wouldnt watch these events, if it was just normal non-reallife-racers.

His last resort: the prank story. Well, you can only reveal a prank and get the laughs on your side while you are still doing it. Everything else will be called a deception, scam, fraud.

If every realworld-driver would have acted like Abt in all these beautiful simracing events of the past weeks why should anybody watch ?

Abt suspended for not respecting the fans and being the all-time-faker he always was, thats how i write it in my book.

Final question after all this: Is your next car going to be an Audi ?

 

[Tom Franz]

I'm a shift worker and frequently work nights in an office alone. If i decided I didn't like the job, had someone perform my duties in my place (that I'm under contract to perform and paid by my eployer to perform) and my employer discovered this, I'd get the sack no doubt. I'm suprised as much as the author of this article is by others attempting to defend him and his actions.

He is employed by Audi and represents the Audi brand when performing racing duties (albeit in a simulation) broadcast under the banner of a real world motorsport association (Formula E), sanctioned by a real world motorsport governing body (FIA). He's still on the books at Audi and I'm sure Audi, as his employer, can reasonably ask him to compete under the Audi brand in a sports simulation. If this was a championship organised by the drivers themselves with no involvement by their employers or the governing body, i'm sure the outcome would have been different but that's not the case.

Intentionally attempting to decieve Formula E, the FIA and Audi by cheating and having someone else race in his place and trying to hide that fact is a disgrace. As elluded to above he's under contract to do a job, regardless of how much he might not enjoy it and I'm not suprised that not only was he fined by the governing body, who's gone to great lengths to not only keep the sport in the public eye but also raise money for charity, but also suspended by his employer.

 

[Oldzeb]

10k euros fine is enough...he did something wrong, he's paying and it's a shame for him, here we go, stop...
Audi hasn't defrauded for years on much more serious things? diesel? pollution?

 

[Tim Meuris]

I fully agree with op concerning the fact it is not done and he deserves it. However the last one to throw the book at him for cheating should be Audi/VAG as they are the biggest cheaters on the planet, remember dieselgate. So it makes me angry to read that Audi sacked him because they value transparency and playing conform with the rules. Something with a pot and a kettle... In my opinion they fully deserve eachother.