Lucas di Grassi is a Brazilian professional racing driver, currently competing in Formula E for Lola Yamaha ABT. A versatile driver, he has raced at the highest levels of single-seaters and endurance racing, winning the 2016–17 Formula E World Championship with Abt and finishing runner-up in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship with Audi.
| Nationality | Brazilian |
|---|---|
| Born | Lucas Tucci di Grassi 11 August 1984 São Paulo, Brazil |
Born in São Paulo, di Grassi began karting at age ten and swiftly climbed the ranks, collecting regional and national titles in Brazil. He graduated to car racing in 2002, finishing runner-up in both Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil and Formula 3 Sudamericana. After two wins in the 2004 British Formula Three Championship, he moved to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005, winning once and taking a prestigious triumph at the non-championship Macau Grand Prix. Three seasons in GP2 followed, yielding four victories and a close second in the 2007 championship behind Timo Glock.
Virgin Racing: 2010
Di Grassi was signed by the newly formed Virgin Racing team on 15 December 2009, partnering his former GP2 rival Glock. His appointment was influenced by team principal John Booth, and he brought significant sponsorship backing. The rookie season proved challenging: hydraulic failures forced retirements in Bahrain and Australia, though he claimed his best result with 14th place in Malaysia despite having to run much of the race in fuel-save mode.
Mechanical troubles became a recurring theme—pit lane starts, clutch failures, loose wheels, and suspension breakages disrupted his campaign. Highlights included a determined duel with Heikki Kovalainen at Spa and valuable technical feedback praised by the Virgin engineers, though his pace relative to Glock drew scrutiny from management. The season’s low points included a crash on the way to the grid in Japan and an accident while attempting to overtake Sakon Yamamoto in Korea.
In Brazil, suspension issues again hindered his run, while in Abu Dhabi, he gambled on fresh tyres under a safety car to complete his final race for the team. Di Grassi finished the 2010 Drivers’ Championship 24th in the standings without scoring points. Days after winning Felipe Massa’s Desafio Internacional das Estrelas karting event, he was replaced for 2011 by Jérôme d’Ambrosio.
Lucas di Grassi Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Virgin |
| Entries | 19 (18 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Lucas di Grassi Teammates
| 2 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timo Glock | 19 | 2010 | |
| Jérôme d’Ambrosio | 4 | 2010 |
Lucas di Grassi Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Virgin Racing | Virgin VR-01 | Cosworth CA2010 2.4 V8 | BHR Ret | AUS Ret | MAL 14 | CHN Ret | ESP 19 | MON Ret | TUR 19 | CAN 19 | EUR 17 | GBR Ret | GER Ret | HUN 18 | BEL 17 | ITA 20† | SIN 15 | JPN DNS | KOR Ret | BRA NC | ABU 18 | 24th | 0 |
