Three-time DTM champion Rast give up the sequence on the finish of final 12 months to modify full-time to Components E, just for Audi to announce that it will go away the all-electric championship after the ultimate spherical of the present season in Berlin this month.
Rast is a possible candidate for Audi’s return to prime echelon of sportscar racing in 2023, when it’ll combat for outright Le Mans 24 Hours honours with an LMDh contender constructed round Multimatic’s next-generation LMP2 chassis.
The German driver beforehand said in February that he’s open to a transitional season within the DTM in 2022, which has switched to GT3 vehicles this 12 months, whereas sustaining that he want to stay inside Audi’s fold within the long-term.
Nonetheless, along with his last FE outing with the manufacturing facility Audi crew approaching, Rast says a one-year return to the DTM is now not a beautiful possibility for him.
“I’d take into account [returning to the DTM] in long-term however simply to leap in for one 12 months, like I did in Components E, is possibly not one of the best thought,” the 34-year-old advised Autosport. “So it will depend on the period, on the programme.”
Rene Rast, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, Audi e-tron FE07
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
The Abt Sportsline crew that has been in Components E since inception of the championship is not going to be on the grid within the 2021/22 season, with its entry having fallen again below the possession of FE following the exit of Audi.
That additional limits Rast’s choices to stay in FE subsequent 12 months, not helped by a number of groups insisting on multi-year contracts for a clean transition into the Gen3 period from 2022/23.
Requested if he expects to stay in FE subsequent season, Rast mentioned: “I say by no means say by no means. In the intervening time it would not appear like [it] but it surely’s nonetheless very early within the 12 months.
“I imply clearly Components E begins very early in January, however [there’s] nonetheless six months to go. I do not know what my programme will likely be for the following two-three years. All of it will depend on my programmes sooner or later after which possibly Components E has a spot in that programme, however I do not know but.”