Lucas Di Grassi is targeting a “competitive” weekend at the Monaco E-Prix after another disappointing couple of races in Berlin, where the Brazilian’s point-less run continued.
The Berlin double-header was far from a success for the former Formula E Champion, with the Mahindra Racing driver having finished eleventh and twelfth at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit. It means he’s now gone seven races in a row without a top ten finish, with his only points from the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship having come from his podium in Mexico City.
Di Grassi will be hoping to end his bad run in Monaco, a place he’s gone well at in the past. The Brazilian has finished on the podium before at the Circuit de Monaco but could only manage sixth last season, a result he’d likely take on Saturday.
Looking ahead to the ninth round of the season, the Formula E veteran is hopeful that his team can “learn quickly” during Free Practice, at what is somewhat of a home E-Prix for him.
“Monaco is my second home race of the season! It’s hopefully going to be a competitive run for us. The Monaco track is a classic and really nice but the track is very different to Berlin. I hope we learn quickly and have a successful weekend.”
“I’ve had some good runs in the past” – Oliver Rowland
For Oliver Rowland, Monaco has been a strong venue for him over the years, with the Briton having also claimed a podium at the historic venue in the past in Formula E. Rowland has also tasted victory at Monaco, with the Mahindra driver having won there in 2017 whilst competing in Formula 2.
Last season’s race at Monaco, though, wasn’t a great one for Rowland, with him having retired from the race. He’ll certainly be hoping to avoid another retirement this weekend especially after having a solid weekend in Berlin, where he claimed a point.
Outright pace continues to be an issue for Rowland and all Mahindra-powered cars, though, something which could make this weekend another challenging one. Despite this, the British driver is excited to be returning to The Principality and to be racing again on the full F1 track, something “young racing drivers always dream of”.
“I’m looking forward to Monaco. I won there in F2 and I have finished second in Formula E as well, so I’ve had some good runs in the past. The track is good fun. We race on the F1 circuit, something any young racing driver always dreams of achieving so I’m looking forward to seeing how we get on.”
Credit: Simon Galloway courtesy of FIA Formula E