Daniel Abt
Daniel Abt | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 3, 1992 Kempten, Bavaria, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, commentator, managing director |
| Years active | 2008–2020 (racing) |
| Known for | Formula E racing with Audi Sport ABT |
Daniel Johannes Abt (born 3 December 1992) is a former German racing driver, recognized chiefly for his participation and victories in Formula E with the Audi Sport ABT squad. His earlier career included competition in German Formula Three, GP3 Series, and GP2 Series, highlighted by winning the 2009 ADAC Formel Masters. Presently, Abt has stepped back from active racing and serves as a commentator for Sat.1's Formula E broadcasts.
ADAC Formel Masters
Originating from Kempten, Bavaria, Abt began his formula racing journey in 2008, driving for his father’s outfit, Abt Sportsline, within the ADAC Formel Masters. That season, he achieved four pole positions and several podium finishes, concluding eighth in the championship standings. The following year, Abt dominated the championship by securing eight victories, seven poles, and ten podiums, ultimately winning the title convincingly ahead of Klaus Bachler and surpassing teammate René Binder.
Formula Three
Following guest races in the German Formula Three Championship during 2009, Abt committed to a full campaign in 2010 with the title-winning team Van Amersfoort Racing. He ended as runner-up, notching two wins and ten podiums but narrowly missing out to Tom Dillmann. Additionally, he competed in the Macau Grand Prix for Signature Team, where he was leading before retiring due to a crash.
In 2011, Abt progressed to the Formula 3 Euro Series with Signature, finishing seventh overall with four third-place results. Within his team, he ranked third behind Marco Wittmann and Laurens Vanthoor and secured fourth place in the 2011 FIA Formula 3 International Trophy. Later that year, he tested an Audi DTM vehicle, indicating potential interest from higher-level racing categories.
GP3 and GP2
After posting the quickest times during GP3 testing for Lotus GP at the end of 2011—a team that had produced the previous season’s champion and runner-up—Abt earned a seat for the 2012 GP3 Series season.
On 19 December 2012, Abt confirmed a move to ART Grand Prix for the 2013 GP2 Series, partnering with James Calado. As a rookie, he scored eleven points and finished 22nd overall but remained in GP2 for 2014 by joining German team Hilmer Motorsport alongside fellow GP3 runner-up Facu Regalia.
Formula E (2014–2020)
On 13 February 2014, Abt was announced as part of the inaugural Formula E grid with his family-run outfit, Audi Sport ABT, teaming up with Audi’s World Endurance Championship driver Lucas di Grassi.
2014–15
Although initially crossing the line third in Formula E’s debut race, Abt was penalized due to illegal car modifications and demoted to tenth place. He concluded the season with one podium finish, a pole position, fastest lap honors, and accumulated 32 points, ranking 11th overall. His results were inconsistent compared to teammate Di Grassi’s performance, trailing by 101 points.
2017–18
Abt earned his maiden Formula E victory at the 2018 Mexico City ePrix after participating in 38 races.
2019–20
In May 2020, Audi suspended and subsequently released Abt following an incident where a professional gamer impersonated him during an esports Formula E competition. Approximately one month later, he joined Nio 333 FE Team, replacing Ma Qinghua, who was unable to compete in Berlin events due to travel restrictions.
Racing Hiatus (2021–Present)
In November 2020, Abt revealed that he had turned down a chance to compete in the 2020-21 Formula E season, choosing instead to take a sabbatical from competitive motorsport. During that period, he contributed as a television analyst and co-commentator for Formula E broadcasts on Sat.1. Abt clarified that this decision did not signify a farewell to racing but rather a deliberate pause, which he believed was "the appropriate approach" and welcomed the opportunity for a break.
Additional Background
Between 2008 and 2010, Abt was affiliated with the Deutsche Post Speed Academy, securing the overall championship titles in both 2009 and 2010 and earning recognition as "Germany's motorsport talent of the year." Since 2010, he has been involved in Volkswagen's driver development program.
Personal Details
Motorsport runs in Abt’s family. His father, Hans-Jürgen Abt, owns and manages the Abt Sportsline racing team, which competes in the DTM alongside other series. The family also operates a German automotive tuning business specializing in Audi vehicles. Additionally, his uncle, Christian Abt, is a professional driver with experience in DTM.
Abt also holds the position of managing director at Abt Lifestyle GmbH.
Summary of Career
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ADAC Formel Masters | Team Abt Sportsline | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 91 | 8th |
| 2009 | ADAC Formel Masters | Team Abt Sportsline | 16 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 224 | 1st |
| German Formula 3 Championship | Performance Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| 2010 | German Formula 3 Championship | Van Amersfoort Racing | 18 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 112 | 2nd |
| Macau Grand Prix | Signature | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
Full ADAC Formel Masters Results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (Events in bold denote pole position) (Events in italics indicate fastest lap)
2009 ADAC Formel Masters#2009| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Team Abt Sportsline | OSC1 1 17 |
OSC1 2 8 |
NÜR1 1 9 |
NÜR1 2 20 |
ASS 1 7 |
ASS 2 8 |
NÜR2 1 2 |
NÜR2 2 Ret |
LAU 1 3 |
LAU 2 4 |
SAC 1 2 |
SAC 2 Ret |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;") OSC2 1 7 |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;") OSC2 2 4 |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;") HOC 1 4 |
(style="background:#EFCFFF;") HOC 2 Ret |
8th | 91 |
| Abt Sportsline#2009 season results | (style="background:#FFFFBF;") Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC1_race_1_2009 1 |
(style="background:#DFDFDF;") Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC1_race_2_2009 2 |
(style="background:;" )TT Circuit Assen#ASS_race_1_2009 EX |
(style="background:;" )TT Circuit Assen#ASS_race_2_2009 EX |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Nürburgring#NÜR1_race_1_2009 1 |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Nürburgring#NÜR1_race_2_2009 1 |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;")Hockenheimring#HOC_race_1_2009 5 |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Hockenheimring#HOC_race_2_2009 1 |
(style="background:#EFCFFF;")EuroSpeedway Lausitz#LAU_race_1_2009 Ret |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") EuroSpeedway Lausitz#LAU_race_2_2009 1 |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Nürburgring#NÜR2_race_1_2009 1 |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Nürburgring#NÜR2_race_2_2009 1 |
(style="background:#DFDFDF;")Sachsenring#SAC_race_1_2009 2 |
(style="background:#FFFFBF;") Sachsenring#SAC_race_2_2009 1 |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;")Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC2_race_1_2009 8 |
(style="background:#DFFFDF;")Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC2_race_2_2009 9 |
1st | 224 |
Full German Formula Three Championship Results
(legend)
| Year | Team | Car | Motor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final Position | Points Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Van Amersfoort Racing | Dallara F306 | Volkswagen | OSC1 1 2 |
OSC1 2 3 |
SAC 1 4 |
SAC 2 2 |
HOC 1 5 |
HOC 2 3 |
ASS1 1 2 |
ASS1 2 1 |
NÜR1 1 5 |
NÜR1 2 3 |
ASS2 1 10 |
ASS2 2 15 |
LAU 1 4 |
LAU < br >2 < br > 4 | NÜR < br >1 < br > 2 | NÜR < br >2 < br > 2 | OSC2 < br >1 < br > 1 | OSC2 < br >2 < br > 16† | 2nd | 112 |
Complete Formula 3 Euro Series Results
(legend)
| Year | Team Name | Car Model | Engine Manufacturer | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 | R27 | Final Standing | Total Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Signature Team | nowrap | Dallara F308/057 | Volkswagen | style="background:#EFCFFF;" | LEC 1 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | LEC 2 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | LEC 3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | HOC 1 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | HOC 2 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | HOC 3 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | ZAN 1 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | ZAN 2 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | ZAN 3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | RBR 1 |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | RBR 2 |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | RBR 3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NOR 1 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NOR 2 |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | NOR 3 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | NÜR 1 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NÜR 2 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NÜR 3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIL 1 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIL 2 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIL 3 |
colspan=4 | | — |
Full German Formula Three Championship results
(key)
| Year | Team | Car chassis | Engine supplier | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Van Amersfoort Racing | Dallara F306 | Volkswagen | style="background:#DFDFDF;"|[[Motorsport Arena Oschersleben#OSC1_–_Race_1|(OSC1) Race_1] \#2" |
(OSC1) Race_2 \#3 |
(SAC) Race_1 \#4 |
(SAC) Race_2 \#2 |
(HOC) Race_1 \#5" |
(HOC) Race_2 \#3 |
(ASS) Race_1 \#2" |
(ASS) Race_2 \#1" |
'(NÜR) Race_1' \#5" |
(NÜR) Race_2 \#3 |
(ASS) Race_3 \#10 |
(ASS) Race_4 \#15 |
'(LAU) Race_1' \#4" |
style="background:#DFFFDF;">(LAU) Race_2 \#4 |
style="background:#DFDFDF;">(NÜR) Race_5 \#2 |
style="background:#DFDFDF;">(NÜR) Race_6 \#2 |
style="background:#FFFFBF;">'(OSC) Race_7' \#1 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;">(OSC) Race_8† \#16† |
2nd | 112 |
Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results
(get key)
| Year | Team | Chassis model | Engine brand | Races... | Final standing | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Signature Team | Dallara F308/057 | Volkswagen | Results feature retirements alongside top placements including two third-place finishes at Red Bull Ring and Norisring. The season concluded with a seventh-place overall ranking and an accumulation of 150 points. |
Full GP3 Series results
(key) (Bolded race numbers denote pole positions)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | D.C. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Lotus GP | CAT FEA 13 |
CAT SPR 6 |
MON FEA 6 |
MON SPR 3 |
VAL FEA 6 |
VAL SPR 2 |
SIL FEA 4 |
SIL SPR Ret |
HOC FEA 7 |
HOC SPR 2 |
HUN FEA 2 |
HUN SPR 11 |
SPA FEA 1 |
SPA SPR 5 |
MNZ FEA 1 |
MNZ SPR 2 |
2nd | 149.5 |
Full Formula Renault 3.5 Series Results
(key)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tech 1 Racing | ALC 1 |
ALC 2 |
MON 1 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
MSC 1 |
MSC 2 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
HUN 1 18 |
HUN 2 24 |
LEC 1 Ret |
LEC 2 18 |
CAT 1 16 |
CAT 2 Ret |
34th | 0 |
Comprehensive GP2 Series Results
(key)
| Year | Team/Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Drivers' Championship Position (D.C.) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | ART Grand Prix | SEP FEA Ret |
SEP SPR 16 |
BHR FEA 14 |
BHR SPR 7 |
CAT FEA 11 |
CAT SPR 8 |
MON FEA 16 |
MON SPR 22 |
SIL FEA 15 |
SIL SPR Ret |
NÜR FEA 21 |
NÜR SPR 18 |
HUN FEA 24† |
HUN SPR 14 |
SPA FEA 16 |
SPA SPR 16 |
MNZ FEA 17 |
MNZ SPR {{small{22}}} |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MRN FEA 13 |
style="background:#000000; color:white"| MRN SPR DSQ |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | YMC FEA 9 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | YMC SPR 5 |
22nd | 11 |
| 2014 | Hilmer Motorsport | style="background:#CFCFFF;" |BHR FEA 13 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |BHR SPR 13 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |CAT FEA Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |CAT SPR 12 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |MON FEA Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |MON SPR 17 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |RBR FEA 17 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |RBR SPR 23 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |SIL FEA 10 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |SIL SPR 11 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |HOC FEA 20 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |HOC SPR 15 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |HUN FEA 5 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |HUN SPR 5 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |SPA FEA 8 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |SPA SPR 5 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" ;MNZ ;FEA ;Ret
;MNZ ;SPR ;10 ;SOC ;FEA ;Ret ;SOC ;SPR ;13 ;YMC ;FEA ;YMC ;SPR |
16th | 27 |
Full Formula E Results
(legend) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; those in italics represent fastest lap)
| Season | Team | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Audi Sport ABT | Spark SRT01-e | SRT01-e | BEI 10 |
PUT 10 |
PDE 15 |
BUE 13† |
MIA 3 |
LBH 15 |
MCO Ret |
BER 14 |
MSC 5 |
LDN Ret |
LDN 11 |
11th | 32 | ||
| 2015–16 | ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport | Spark SRT01-e | ABT Schaeffler FE01 | BEI 11 |
PUT 7 |
PDE 8 |
BUE 13 |
MEX 7 |
LBH 3 |
PAR 10 |
BER 2 |
LDN Ret |
LDN 2 |
7th | 68 | |||
| 2016–17 | ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport | Spark SRT01-e | ABT Schaeffler FE02 | HKG Ret |
MRK 6 |
BUE 7 |
MEX 7 |
MCO 7 |
PAR 13† |
BER 6 |
BER 4 |
NYC 14† |
NYC Ret |
MTL 4 |
MTL 6 |
8th | 67 | |
| nowrap | nowrap | nowrap | nowrap
Audi e-tron FE04 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" style="background:#000000; color:white" DSQ | style="background:#DFFFDF;" 10 | Ret | 1 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 3 | |
5th | 120 | ||||||||||||
| nowrap | nowrap | nowrap | nowrap
Audi e-tron FE05 |
8 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 18† | 3 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | |
7th | 95 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan=2 nowrap | nowrap | rowspan=2 nowrap | nowrap
Audi e-tron FE06 |
Ret | 6 | 14 | Ret | 14 | colspan=8| |
rowspan=2
21st |
rowspan=2
8 | ||||||||||||
| nowrap | nowrap
Nio Inc. FE-005 |
colspan=5| 18 | 16 | 15 | 18 | Ret | 20 | colspan=2| | ||||||||||||||||
† The driver was classified despite not finishing, having completed more than 90% of the race distance.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Category | Laps Completed | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall Rebellion Racing | Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall Alexandre Imperatori Template:Country data AUTTemplate:Namespace detect showall Dominik Kraihamer |
Rebellion R-One-AER | LMP1 | 336 | 18th | 9th |
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Category | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Final Position | Points Accumulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Rebellion Racing | LMP1 | Rebellion R-One | AER P60 2.4 L Turbocharged V6 | SIL | SPA | LMS 17 |
NÜR Ret |
COA 14 |
FUJ 16 |
SHA | BHR | 28th | 2 |