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Formula E – Di Grassi stuns Mexican masses with sensational last-gasp win

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17.02.19

Audi driver becomes fourth driver from four races to taste victory in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship

Lucas di Grassi and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler have become the fourth driver-team pairing to win from four races of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The Brazilian stunned the packed grandstands, snatching victory just a few feet from the finish line, as long-time leader Pascal Wehrlein slowed on the run to the line as he reached the limit of his energy reserves.

It was a frenetic final few minutes of the race, as both Nissan e.dams drivers Oliver Rowland and Sebastien Buemi, who had been running in second and fourth respectively, also slowed following a miscalculation on the number of laps that would be taken during the new-for-season-five timed race format.

The top order was shuffled even further in the final moments of the race, as Wehrlein was handed a five-second penalty for cutting the Turn 3/4 chicane, dropping him down to sixth and promoting Antonio Felix da Costa into second place for BMW i Andretti Motorsport, and Edoardo Mortara into the final podium position for the Venturi Formula E Team.

In another impressively consistent race performance, Jerome D’Ambrosio capitalised on the drama ahead, coming through from 19th on the grid to finish fourth, netting him 12 points and putting him to the top of the standings.

Even before the last-lap dramas, there was plenty of action throughout this fourth edition of the Mexico City E-Prix. This began with contact between the Panasonic Jaguar Racing car of Nelson Piquet Jr and the DS TECHEETAH car of reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne, with Piquet colliding with the rear right wheel of Vergne sending him heavily into the barriers and out of the race.

The red flags were thrown to recover the stricken Jaguar, before a safety car restart got the action back underway. The time lost under red flag conditions was re-added to the clock, maintaining the 45 minutes +1 Lap format of racing action and setting up the thrilling fight to the finish.

D’Ambrosio wasn’t the only one to surge through the field, as Mitch Evans, Sam Bird and Daniel Abt all came from the back of the grid to score points inside the top ten.

A full day of testing awaits the teams and drivers at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez tomorrow (18 February), before racing resumes for round five on the spectacular streets of Hong Kong on 9-10 March.

Mexico City E-Prix Race Results: 

1

Lucas di Grassi

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

1:13:15.422s

(25)

2

Antonio Felix da Costa

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

+0.436s

(18)

3

Edoardo Mortara

VENTURI Formula E Team

+0.745s

(15)

4

Jerome D’Ambrosio

MAHINDRA RACING

+1.159s

(12)

5

Andre Lotterer

DS TECHEETAH

+1.785s

(10)

6

Pascal Wehrlein

MAHINDRA RACING

+5.210s

(12)

7

Mitch Evans

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

+5.800s

(6)

8

Felipe Massa

VENTURI Formula E Team

+8.084s

(4)

9

Sam Bird

Envision Virgin Racing

+8.356s

(2)

10

Daniel Abt

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

+8.438s

(1)

11

Robin Frijns

Envision Virgin Racing

+9.044s

 

12

Oliver Turvey

NIO Formula E Team

+11.252s

 

13

Jean-Eric Vergne

DS TECHEETAH

+19.153s

 

14

Alexander Sims

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

+20.471s

 

15

Tom Dillmann

NIO Formula E Team

+20.871s

 

16

Gary Paffett

HWA RACELAB

+23.272s

 

17

Jose Maria Lopez

GEOX DRAGON

+41.542s

 

18

Stoffel Vandoorne

HWA RACELAB

+43.425s

 

19

Felipe Nasr

GEOX DRAGON

+1:56.160s

 

20

Oliver Rowland

Nissan e.dams

1 Lap

 

21

Sebastien Buemi

Nissan e.dams

1 Lap

 

DNF

Nelson Piquet Jr

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

2:14.170s

 

DNF

Nelson Piquet Jr.

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

2 Laps

 

 

Drivers' Championship Standings: 

 

Jerome D’Ambrosio

MAHINDRA RACING

53

Antonio Felix da Costa

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

46

Sam Bird

Envision Virgin Racing

45

Lucas di Grassi

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

34

Pascal Wehrlein

MAHINDRA RACING

30

Andre Lotterer

DS TECHEETAH

29

Robin Frijns

Envision Virgin Racing

28

Jean-Eric Vergne

DS TECHEETAH

28

Mitch Evans

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

28

Edoardo Mortara

VENTURI Formula E Team

27

Daniel Abt

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

22

Alexander Sims

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

18

Sebastien Buemi

Nissan e.dams

15

Oliver Rowland

Nissan e.dams

6

Oliver Turvey

NIO Formula E Team

4

Felipe Massa

VENTURI Formula E Team

4

Jose Maria Lopez

GEOX DRAGON

2

Nelson Piquet Jr.

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

1

Maximilian Gunther

GEOX DRAGON

0

Tom Dillmann

NIO Formula E Team

0

Gary Paffett

HWA RACELAB

0

Stoffel Vandoorne

HWA RACELAB

0

Felipe Nasr

GEOX DRAGON

0

Felix Rosenqvist

MAHINDRA RACING

0

 

Teams' Championship Standings:

MAHINDRA RACING

83

Envision Virgin Racing

73

BMW i Andretti Motorsport

64

DS TECHEETAH

57

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler

56

VENTURI Formula E Team

31

Panasonic Jaguar Racing

29

Nissan e.dams

21

NIO Formula E Team

4

GEOX DRAGON

2

HWA RACELAB

0