Lucas Di Grassi claimed a brilliant victory at Race Two of the London E-Prix on Sunday, following on from a difficult Race One on Saturday. The Brazilian driver started second-place for Race Two, alongside Race One winner Jake Dennis.
Di Grassi sat behind for the first half of the race, before making his way past the Brit during the pair taking their various attack modes. Once in the lead, the ROKIT Venturi Racing driver pulled away, to claim a thoroughly deserved victory. The thirty-seven-year-old was elated after the race, the complete opposite of what he was like after Race One.
On Saturday, Di Grassi was made to start from last-place, after having all of his lap-times deleted for impeding other drivers. It was one of the most bizarre penalties ever seen in motorsport, which understandably left the Brazilian furious.
After the race on Sunday, Di Grassi explained how he “deserved” the win, after what happened on Saturday.
“This result means everything to me. I had a great battle with Jake [Dennis] and from start to finish, the race was very strategic. I think we timed our Attack Modes perfectly and that allowed us to build a good energy buffer and then, when the time was right, I was able to spend the energy, open a gap and then hold the lead from there.
“The team gave me the perfect car today and after what happened in Race One, I think we deserve this result. I’m proud of everyone in the garage and with only two races to go, the fight is on. We have to give everything we have in Seoul.”
“I’m frustrated not to have finished inside the top ten” – Edoardo Mortara
It was a weekend to forget for Edoardo Mortara, who whilst still mathematically is in the title fight, his chances are next to none. The Swiss driver failed to score points in both races, after also failing to make the qualifying duels on either day.
Mortara was on for a points finish in Race Two, before spinning at Turn One. Mortara locked his rear-tyres whilst trying to overtake Sam Bird, resulting in a spin. The Venturi driver was also awarded a penalty during the race, to add to his concerns.
Mortara is disappointed with how the weekend went, but is hoping to “end the year on a high” in South Korea.
“This weekend has been difficult, and I’m frustrated not to have finished inside the top 10. We were able to come through the field quite quickly overall after starting down in 17th, and because of our strategy, I think we were in a strong position to score good points. When I was trying to overtake [Sam] Bird, Pascal [Wehrlein] pulled out in front of me and I had to brake quite hard but locked the rears which caused me to spin.
“After that, I tried to see what else I could get but with the penalty, there was little I could do. There are only two races to go this season, and after two challenging weekends, I want to end the year on a high.”
Credit: ROKIT Venturi Racing