Lucas di Grassi
Lucas di Grassi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lucas Tucci di Grassi August 11, 1984 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Occupation | Professional racing driver |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Formula E champion, Formula One driver, FIA World Endurance Championship competitor |
Lucas Tucci di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian professional racing driver currently competing in Formula E with Lola Yamaha ABT. He previously participated in Formula One during , and secured the 2016–17 Formula E Championship title with Abt. In endurance racing, di Grassi finished as runner-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016 driving for Audi.
Originating from São Paulo, di Grassi started karting at the age of ten, achieving notable success on both regional and national levels. He transitioned to car racing in 2002, concluding the season as runner-up in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil and Formula 3 Sudamericana championships. After clinching two consecutive wins in the 2004 British Formula Three Championship, he advanced to the Euro Series, where he earned a race victory and triumphed at the non-championship Macau Grand Prix. Subsequently, he competed for three seasons in the GP2 Series, capturing four wins and finishing second overall in 2007, behind Timo Glock.
Di Grassi entered Formula One with the Virgin Racing outfit in 2010 but was released after one season. In mid-2011, he took on the role of official tyre tester for Pirelli, contributing to the development of next-generation tyres through 2012. Between 2012 and 2016, he raced for Audi Sport Team Joest in the FIA World Endurance Championship, securing two victories and placing second in the championship standings in 2016. Since 2014, di Grassi has competed in Formula E, accumulating thirteen wins and claiming the 2016–17 Drivers' Championship.
In July 2020, di Grassi co-founded the ESkootr Championship and assumed the position of Sustainability Ambassador for the series, which officially launched in May 2022.
Early and personal life
Born on 11 August 1984 in São Paulo, Brazil, di Grassi has Italian heritage through his grandfather from Polignano a Mare. Although his family lacked a motorsport background, his uncle operated a go-kart shop where di Grassi began karting between ages seven and eight. He attended Santa Cruz High School and obtained an Economics degree from the private business school Ibmec.
On 1 December 2013, di Grassi married designer Bianca Diniz Caloi in Itirapina, São Paulo. The couple currently resides in Monaco. Their son Leonardo was born on 3 July 2018.
In 2007, di Grassi established Smarter Driving, an NGO focused on fuel conservation, and was appointed as a clean air ambassador by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2018. To maintain peak physical condition for racing, he participates in triathlon competitions. Additionally, he is a member of Mensa International and is fluent in Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, with basic proficiency in French.
Karting and early junior formulae
Encouraged by his father Vito—former vice-president of Brazilian heavy vehicle manufacturer Engesa—di Grassi began karting at ten years old. He won a São Paulo karting championship in 1997 and progressed through South American competitions, culminating with a fifth-place finish at the 2000 Formula A World Championship and winning the Pan American Kart Championship that same year.
Di Grassi's car racing debut came in 2002 within the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil series, where he achieved two wins and finished just seven points behind champion Sérgio Jimenez. In 2003, racing for Avellone in Formula 3 Sudamericana, he secured one victory along with eleven podium finishes to end second overall despite missing the last six rounds due to a neck injury sustained at Curitiba.
In 2004, di Grassi relocated to the United Kingdom to compete in the British Formula Three Championship with Hitech Racing. He claimed victories in both races at Thruxton, concluding eighth overall. Additionally, he achieved third place at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.
Advancing to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005 with Manor Motorsport, di Grassi endured a severe crash at Hockenheimring early on but recovered to secure a commanding lights-to-flag win at Oschersleben. He finished third in the championship standings, placed third at the Masters of Formula 3, and won the season-closing Macau Grand Prix, overtaking Robert Kubica following a safety car restart.
GP2 Series and Formula One Testing (2006–2009)
In 2006, di Grassi progressed to the GP2 Series driving for the underperforming Durango outfit alongside Sergio Hernández. Although the car lacked competitiveness, he managed to accumulate eight points. Backed by the Renault F1 team, he secured a seat with ART Grand Prix for the 2007 season, initially teaming up with Michael Ammermüller. His consistent points-scoring performances placed him in championship contention against Timo Glock of iSport.
Di Grassi claimed his inaugural victory during the fourteenth round in Istanbul, momentarily taking the lead in the championship before Glock regained it. In the final race at Valencia, a risky tyre strategy did not pay off, resulting in di Grassi finishing outside the top ten and enabling Glock to clinch the title.
While concentrating on developing the new Dallara GP2/08 chassis and fulfilling his duties as Renault’s Formula One test driver, di Grassi returned to GP2 midway through 2008 with Campos Racing, replacing Ben Hanley from round four onward. He achieved two wins and several podium finishes, ultimately securing third place in the championship despite competing in fewer races than his main rivals.
In 2009, di Grassi sought a Formula One race seat with Renault amid rumors about potentially replacing Nelson Piquet Jr., but Renault chose to maintain their existing lineup. Alongside Bruno Senna, he tested for Honda and posted competitive lap times; however, Honda withdrew from Formula One due to the global financial crisis. Brawn GP opted for experience by retaining Rubens Barrichello instead.
Facing limited opportunities in Formula One, di Grassi continued competing in GP2 during 2009 with Racing Engineering, partnering Dani Clos. The FIA’s ban on mid-season testing ended his role as Renault’s test driver, but he remained a reserve driver and served as backup for Romain Grosjean at the Singapore Grand Prix. He began the season strongly with solid finishes in Monaco and won the Istanbul sprint race starting from reverse grid pole position. Although he was unable to mount a title challenge, di Grassi secured multiple podiums and finished third overall once again.
Formula One (2010)
In December 2009, di Grassi signed with the newly formed Virgin Racing team, joining former GP2 competitor Timo Glock as his teammate. It was reported that he brought approximately £5 million in sponsorship funding and was drawn to working under team principal John Booth. Despite expectations that Glock would outperform him, di Grassi encountered early technical difficulties, retiring from both opening races due to hydraulic failures. His best result came at the Malaysian Grand Prix where he finished 14th despite struggling with fuel management.
Throughout the season, mechanical problems and setup challenges plagued di Grassi’s campaign, resulting in several retirements or last-place finishes. Key incidents included a problematic pit stop wheel change in Monaco, clutch failure in China, and a crash during an overtaking attempt in Korea. While his feedback impressed the engineering team, Booth expressed dissatisfaction with his pace compared to Glock and explored other options, eventually signing Jérôme d'Ambrosio for 2011. Di Grassi concluded the year 24th in the Drivers' Championship without scoring points. After winning a karting competition later that year, he was replaced by d'Ambrosio for the subsequent season.
2011–2014
In 2011, di Grassi took on the position of Pirelli's tyre test driver for Formula One, playing a key role in tyre development by piloting a Toyota TF109 test vehicle and gathering data during race weekends. He was close to joining Peugeot Sport for endurance racing; however, the deal fell through when the manufacturer withdrew due to financial difficulties. Throughout 2012, he continued his work with Pirelli alongside Jaime Alguersuari, assisting in tyre development using an updated Renault R30 chassis adapted for that season.
Di Grassi made his endurance racing debut at the 2012 24 Hours of Nürburgring behind the wheel of Dörr Motorsport’s McLaren MP4-12C GT3 but had to retire early because of mechanical issues. Later that year, he joined Audi Sport Team Joest for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) round in São Paulo, where he secured a third-place overall finish. Additionally, he briefly participated in the International V8 Supercars Championship and claimed second place in Macau’s GT Cup driving an AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3.
Recognizing his strong WEC performances, Audi signed di Grassi towards the end of 2012 to replace Marco Bonanomi. In 2013, he competed for Audi at prestigious endurance events including the 12 Hours of Sebring and Le Mans, achieving podium results and contributing significantly to Audi’s success in endurance racing. Furthermore, he conducted testing sessions with an Audi RS5 DTM car as preparation for potential touring car competition.
At the start of 2014, di Grassi entered Stock Car Brasil but was forced to retire early due to mechanical failure. He was elevated to a full-time WEC seat with Audi, partnering with Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval. The trio earned multiple podium finishes including a runner-up spot at Le Mans, ultimately concluding the championship in fourth place with consistent top-five placements.
2015–Present
Di Grassi continued representing Audi in both WEC and Stock Car Brasil over subsequent seasons, consistently delivering strong results such as podiums and race victories. Notable achievements include finishing fourth at Le Mans in 2015 despite a crash involving teammate Duval, as well as wins at Spa-Francorchamps and Bahrain in 2016 that contributed to Audi’s final WEC victory before withdrawing from LMP1 competition.
In touring car disciplines, di Grassi selectively competed in events like Stock Car Brasil and made guest appearances in the Audi Sport TT Cup, where he secured race wins. He also took part in GT competitions such as the FIA GT World Cup held in Macau.
More recently, di Grassi has concentrated primarily on endurance racing engagements while occasionally returning to touring car contests. In 2019, he participated as a wildcard entrant in Stock Car Brasil’s Million Race; although initially crossing the finish line first, he was later disqualified following a penalty ruling.
Formula E (2012–Present)
Formula E promoter Alejandro Agag recruited di Grassi early on for his technical knowledge to assist with developing the electric race car chassis. Initially doubtful about electric racing's appeal, di Grassi embraced its environmental objectives and became the official test driver for Formula E prototype vehicles beginning in 2012. He subsequently transitioned from development duties to competition when announced as one of Audi Sport ABT’s drivers for the inaugural 2014–15 season alongside Daniel Abt.
2014–15 season
Di Grassi achieved a milestone by winning Formula E's inaugural race in Beijing in September 2014 and consistently secured podium finishes early in the season, positioning himself as the championship leader. Despite challenges such as a suspension failure that forced retirement in Buenos Aires and being stripped of a Berlin victory due to technical violations, he remained a strong contender throughout the campaign. He ultimately placed third in the championship with six podium appearances—the highest count among all drivers.
2015–16 season
The season commenced with di Grassi earning several podiums, including triumphs at Putrajaya and Long Beach, allowing him to lead the championship for much of the year. However, a disqualification in Mexico City for an underweight vehicle disrupted his momentum. He bounced back by winning in Paris and extended his points advantage but narrowly missed out on the title to Sébastien Buemi following a dramatic final race decided by fastest lap times.
2016–17 season
Di Grassi started the season with steady podium results and secured victory in Mexico City despite late-race energy management difficulties. Throughout the year, he engaged in a tight battle with Buemi, overcoming setbacks such as crashes and mechanical failures. His consistent performance culminated in capturing his first Formula E Drivers' Championship during Montreal’s double-header finale.
During this timeframe, he also garnered attention by driving an electric car across Greenland’s Arctic ice sheet to raise climate awareness and took on the role of CEO for Roborace, an autonomous racing series.
2017–18 season
A sluggish beginning marked by powertrain issues led to zero points from the initial rounds, but di Grassi recovered impressively with seven straight podiums, including victories at Zürich and New York City. His contributions were instrumental in Audi securing their inaugural Teams' Championship, while he finished runner-up in the drivers’ standings.
2018–19 season
This season saw di Grassi claim significant wins such as Mexico City—where he overtook Pascal Wehrlein near the end—and Berlin. He maintained consistent performance throughout and concluded third overall in the championship rankings.
2019–20 season
For the first time since joining Formula E, di Grassi did not record any race wins this season but remained competitive through podium results like Diriyah. He finished sixth in the overall standings with a respectable points total.
2020–21 season
He opened strongly by winning in Puebla following Pascal Wehrlein’s disqualification but encountered reliability problems including retirements during Rome’s double-header events. A contentious disqualification occurred at London when he failed to serve a drive-through penalty due to communication errors within his team. Di Grassi ended the season seventh in the championship amid mixed outcomes.
Additionally, he participated briefly in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters events during this period without scoring points.
2021–22 season
Following Audi’s exit from Formula E, di Grassi joined Venturi Racing for Season 8. He started well with several podium finishes including second places but experienced inconsistent results mid-season marked by retirements and lower placements. A late-season resurgence featured wins such as the second London race, allowing him to finish fifth overall with a solid accumulation of points.
2022–23 season
Di Grassi joined Mahindra Racing, taking over from Alexander Sims, and began the season impressively by securing pole position and a podium finish at the Mexico City ePrix, an event hailed as "a Mexican miracle." However, his performance declined in subsequent races, resulting in a final standing of fifteenth place before he exited the team after just one year.
2023–24 season
For Season 10, di Grassi returned to ABT CUPRA Racing, partnering with Nico Müller. The year proved difficult, as he struggled to deliver strong results, ending the season 23rd with a mere four points and being outperformed by even substitute drivers.
2024–25 season
Remaining with ABT during their transition to Lola power units for Season 11 and teaming up with rookie Zane Maloney, di Grassi regained competitiveness by securing a second-place podium at the Miami ePrix. He finished seventeenth in the championship, ahead of Maloney who failed to score any points.
Driver profile and views
Widely regarded as one of the most technically adept racers in motorsport, di Grassi’s expertise stems from his involvement in developing the GP2/08 Formulec and Spark-Renault SRT01E chassis. He is known for combining precise racecraft with effective media engagement. Experts view him as part of a new wave of drivers who embrace technological advancements while maintaining intense focus despite increasing automation in racing.
Di Grassi is noted for his forthright commentary, having openly criticized Formula One’s Halo safety device design and the strict enforcement of track limits. He has also advocated for modifications to circuit layouts to facilitate more overtaking opportunities. Such stances have led to speculation about his potential future in motorsport leadership roles; he has indicated openness toward possibly pursuing the FIA presidency.
On the political front, di Grassi disclosed that he voted for Jair Bolsonaro during his presidential election but has since expressed criticism of both Bolsonaro’s government and that of his successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva regarding their administrative performance.