Audi Sport ABT driver Lucas di Grassi will be top of the Driver Standings at Christmas following his third podium in three races, picking up a third place finish in the Punta del Este ePrix.
The Brazilian sits top with a secure looking 18 point lead over closest challenger, e.dams-Renault’s Sebastien Buemi and his 40 point total following his victory in Uruguay.
In the earlier qualifying session, the Brazilian had not taken any risks and in sixth place secured a solid starting base for the 31-lap race. Following a good start and a small tussle with rivals, di Grassi was running in seventh place for a long time before making up ground after a swift pit stop that included switching to the second car and two laps before the finish captured his podium place.
“Three races, three podiums – a tremendous start of the season and a nice conclusion of the motorsport year as well,” said di Grassi. “I arrive at each weekend with the aim of winning. But on the narrow city street circuits and with the strong competition it’s sometimes just as crucial to stay cool, make no mistakes and constantly score points. I’d like to thank the team for its strong commitment here in Uruguay, as well as the organisers for another great Formula E event.”
His team-mate Daniel Abt again became the victim of a technical defect. Shortly after the start and on two more occasions a fault in the battery management system that is identical for all the teams caused his car to go into safety mode and switch off.
Abt had to restart the electronics, which made him drop to the rear of the field. Not to be deterred, he switched to the second car and managed the fastest lap of the race and scored two points for it.
“The two points for the fastest race today are just small consolation,” said Abt. “I finally wanted to put an end to my streak of bad luck here in Uruguay but had to forget about that after just two laps. Still, we showed what we would have been capable of when everything is running smoothly. This is encouraging for the next race that, fortunately, is coming up just shortly after New Year’s Eve.”
