Formula E: Lucas di Grassi to join Mahindra for Gen3 era
Mahindra Racing has signed former Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi to pair Oliver Rowland from next season.
Di Grassi, who will be chasing his 1,000th point in Formula E during the season finale in Seoul this weekend, is set to replace Alexander Sims, who leaves after four seasons in the series and two with the Indian outfit.
Together, Di Grassi and Rowland will continue Mahindra Racing’s Gen3 testing programme before embarking on a new era for the series at the start of next year.
The Brazilian has been with Formula E since the very beginning, winning the inaugural E-Prix on the streets of Beijing back in 2014 and, this weekend, he will be taking to the grid for his, and the series’, 100th race.
Di Grassi signed for ROKiT Venturi Racing from Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler last year and has partnered Edoardo Mortara, who will be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship this weekend.
Arguably the most decorated driver within the sport, di Grassi has racked up 13 race wins, a record-breaking 38 podiums and three Julius Baer Pole Positions to total an unrivalled 994 points. His crowning moment came in the 2016/17 season when he claimed the World Championship with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, and with ABT Sportsline returning to the series and powering Mahindra from next year, the Brazilian will be hoping to add another title to his collection.
“Joining Mahindra represents a new challenge in my career and the timing could not be better: with the introduction of Gen3 in season nine of the FIA Formula E World Championship, everyone is starting from scratch,” said di Grassi. “Having a seven-year relationship with ABT Sportsline, in which we won the world championship together, will give us a good springboard – the team will use the Mahindra Racing powered by ZF powertrain and this additional data and my close connection to the engineers will stand us in good stead.
“The short-term target is to win races and long-term is to help Mahindra Racing to win the world championship and become an icon in electric racing worldwide. We will build an exciting and sustainable future together.”
