As part of their sponsorship of Real Madrid, Audi give cars to all the players and hold media days where they are encouraged to race against each other.
It turns out that giving a group of competitive young men powerful sports cars is not a great idea, as Karim Benzema has been caught speeding at 135mph in his Audi RS5 4.2 FSI while racing his teammates.
The incident occurred after Los Blancos' loss to Grenada last month, as players made their way home on the Spanish capital's four-lane M40 motorway. Benzema, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jose Callejon, Sergio Ramos and Michael Essien were all pulled over and breathalysed, after driving significantly above the 70mph speed limit in a fleet of Porsches and Audis leased by the club.
Spanish newspaper El Pais says they all passed the breathalyser tests, while Essien accepted a €200 on-the-spot fine for driving at 105mph. Benzema, meanwhile, earned a court hearing that could earn him a six-month stint in prison.
Since footballers have expensive lawyers and the justice system is perverse, it seems unlikely that the striker will get anything more than an easily affordable fine for endangering the lives of his fellow road users. The court case, however, will have implications for his national side, as it clashes with a vital World Cup Qualifier. ESPN FC reports: