Born in Minden, Germany, Rene Rast started karting professionally at the age of 10, competing in national competitions before winning the 2001 North German ICA Junior Kartcup. A year later he won the German ICA Junior Kartcup.

Audi and Rast have had a long-standing and successful partnership in DTM. In his first full campaign in the German touring car championship in 2017, Rast's consistency across the year saw him secure his first title in his rookie season.

The following year he ended second in the DTM standings despite dominating in the closing stages with six victories in a row and Rast retained his DTM title a year later with a series of commanding performances across 18 rounds with seven wins and six podiums. 

In 2020, Rast signed off Audi's stint in the German touring car championship in style as he became the only driver to win three titles on the bounce, and the most successful factory driver Audi has ever seen.

Other racing accolades include a run of championship wins in the Porsche Supercup between 2010 and 2012, endurance victories in 2014 in both the 24 Hours Nurburgring around the gruelling Nordschleife and the Spa 24 Hours, and overall honours in the 2014 ADAC GT Masters.

He jumped into the vacant Audi e-tron FE06 after Daniel Abt's departure from the team for the remainder of the 2019/20 season. The German ace already had a taste of all-electric street racing, having deputised for Antonio Felix da Costa at Super Aguri in the 2016 Berlin E-Prix and made himself right at home with a maiden podium in Round 10 at Tempelhof.

That showing in the six race season-finale in Berlin was enough to earn Rest role in Audi's line-up for the 2020/21 season. His best that campaign was a second in Puebla, earning the German marque a 1-2 finish as he followed teammate Lucas di Grassi across the line.

Rast has unfinished business in Formula E and will be donning papaya for Season 9 as part of McLaren's debut in the series.