Brazilian driver Lucas Di Grassi, from São Paulo and racing for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team, looked excited to race at the full Circuit de Monaco track in the Principality of Monaco.
“To race near my home, where I go jogging or shopping every day, is very special” he said ahead of the race weekend. In previous iterations of the race, he finished second at every event.
The full Circuit de Monaco, which will allow all drivers to pass through iconic places like Sainte Dévote, Casino Square, Mirabeau corner, the Fairmont Hairpin, La Rascasse, has recently been homologated to allow the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to compete on it.
In terms of racing, both Lucas Di Grassi and his Audi team principal Allan McNish seem to measure the challenge that is Monaco: “Monaco is Monaco: it will be exciting to see whether, where and how well Formula E will overtake here. Qualifying will definitely play an important role” said McNish.
Di Grassi added that the full track will be a great experience for the drivers but also for the spectators and the fans on TV.
For his teammate, Rene Rast, the full Monaco E-Prix track in a Formula E car will be his first time, but he has fond memories of the other times he raced in the Principality: “The atmosphere in Monaco is incomparable. I drove in the Porsche Supercup there five times during Formula 1 weekends and won twice.”
Rast’s memories go much deeper than his race results in Porsche Supercup: “Even as a child in front of the TV, Monaco was the highlight of the year for me. Now, it’s one of my favorite race tracks.”
The Principality of Monaco has allowed 6500 fans to attend the event, on the following conditions: they must either be Monaco residents, working in Monaco or staying at a hotel in Monaco. A restriction has also been put in place for the yachts: a maximum of twelve people are allowed per yacht in the harbour.
The race for Round seven of the Formula E World Championship will be on Saturday 8 May 2021 at 16:00 CET (15:00 BST).
