Abt had to go because he consciously broke rules, says Audi

FILE PHOTO: Motor Racing - Formula E - Berlin E-Prix - Flughafen Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany - May 19, 2018 Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler's Daniel Abt celebrates winning the race REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Audi sacked German driver Daniel Abt from their Formula E team because he "made a conscious decision to go against the rules" in an esports competition, the German carmaker said on Wednesday.

Abt, who announced on Tuesday he had lost his seat, was punished for getting a professional gamer to compete for him in the "Race at Home Challenge", a virtual series involving regular drivers from the all-electric championship.