Di Grassi conquered in USA bouncing back from Mexico’s fluke
Monaco resident Brazilian born Lucas Di Grassi had left Mexico 22 points behind the championship leader after getting disqualified, but came back with a vengeance to win the Long Beach ePrix this Saturday, April 2, 2016, in front of a 17,000-strong crowd. He completed the E European rounds leading the standings one point in front his closest contender Sebastien Buemi who only took 2 points. His mate Daniel Abt came third collecting more points for their ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport team in its nascent Formula E history.
After his unexpected misfortune in the previous race, Di Grassi rebounded in superb style. He had also won three weeks ago, but was excluded in Mexico after the results, and after even having sprayed the victory champagne, because his car was underweight. He certainly made up for the loss in Mexico, so you can imagine his euphoria after winning in the USA.
“The victory was exactly the right reaction after the race in Mexico. Before the weekend, the entire team was absolutely committed to proving that the victory there was not a fluke”, said Di Grassi. “We are racers, we go to the limit and never give up. The crucial stage of the season now starts and we are more motivated than ever before to stay on track in the fast lane. I am also absolutely delighted for Daniel. He is a great guy and a strong driver – today he got his reward for this”, he added. The champagne tasted much better this time around!
British Sam Bird was leading from pole position and through the early stages of the race, while Lucas di Grassi started the race second from the grid, but overtook Bird, before the pit stop with its obligatory car change. In the second half of the race, the Brazilian, who was once again awarded FanBoost and its accompanying extra portion of energy by the fans, pulled away and remained unfazed despite a late safety car stage that bunched up the field again.
An ABT team victory
“My compliments and congratulations to our two drivers, all the engineers and the mechanics. I am incredibly proud of the entire team: everybody was under immense pressure, but everyone performed fantastically”, said team boss Hans-Jürgen Abt.
Long Beach ePrix Results
2016 Faraday Future Long Beach ePrix RESULTS (Top-10):
- LUCAS DI GRASSI (BRA), ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport – 41 laps in 45min11s582 (116,0 km/h)
- Stéphane Sarrazin (FRA), Venturi – 0s787
- Daniel Abt (ALE), ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport – 1s685
- Nick Heidfeld (ALE), Mahindra Racing – 2s343
- Bruno Senna (BRA), Mahindra Racing – 4s968
- Sam Bird (GBR), DS Virgin – 5s229
- Jerôme D’Ambrossio (BEL), Dragon Racing – 6s735
- Loïc Duval (FRA), Dragon Racing – 8s057
- Simona de Silvestro (SUI), Andretti – 10s505
- Mike Conway (GBR), Venturi – 10s900
Championship Standings (Top-5):
- LUCAS DI GRASSI, 101 points
- Sébastien Buemi – 100
- Sam Bird – 71
- Jerôme D’Ambrossio – 64
- Stéphane Sarrazin – 48
Racing on the streets of Paris next
After races in Asia, South and North America, the FIA Formula E Championship returns to Europe. Next round is in beautiful Paris on April 23, 2016, in the heart of the French capital with the Les Invalides as backdrop. But, Lucas di Grassi has yet another challenge in front of him: the first round of the FIA WEC with Audi Sport Team Joest – the 6 Hours of Silverstone on April 17, 2016.
Groundbreaking Formula E FIA championship
Formula E is a groundbreaking FIA championship and the world’s first fully electric racing series. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. The first season began in Beijing in September 2014 and completed in London in June 2015, racing in 10 major cities (11 races) around the world. There are nine teams in the championship, each with two drivers, going head-to-head to create a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. Season two got underway in October in Beijing with the series becoming an “open championship” allowing approved manufacturers to develop new powertrain solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on improving battery technology.
Today’s Quote
My grandfather worked with Thomas Edison on the electric car, and he sold electric cars at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. Al Jardine from the Beach Boys
Monaco Reporter 