On this special day, celebrating ten years since the first E-Prix, we talk to the champion of the third season, Lucas di Grassi. We take a look back to the early beginnings and look ahead to our new era with ABT, Lola and Yamaha.
What is your very first memory of Formula E?
“I remember it very clearly, it was the beginning of July in 2012. I was sitting in a hotel in London and Alejandro Agag called me. Together, we had been involved in many motorsport projects and were always thinking about new ideas, especially things that could be completely different and revolutionary in motorsport. He told me that he wanted to speak to me about a new project that he was working on, an electric racing series. Without any specifics, car type etc, my initial reaction was that this could work. A few days later, we met up in London to discuss what we needed to do, which in short, included doing everything from scratch.”
What were your expectations before the Beijing E-Prix in 2014?
“I was actually pretty nervous. We had shown very strong pace during pre-season testing. I wanted to turn that performance into a strong result, but everything was unknown to us: the track, the race format, how everything would go. I focused on being consistent to get a good result so that we could build on that moving forward. I was only driving at about 95 percent to make sure the car made it through the first race.”
Tell us about that first E-Prix and the surprise victory.
“After the ridiculously slow formation lap, I started the E-Prix from the front row, running second behind Nicolas Prost. During the car change, I lost one place to Nick Heidfeld. Thereafter, I was holding third with the two leaders in sight. Back then, we handled the energy manually in the car and I had no idea if I was in the right place in terms of the remaining energy. I was trying to calculate the available energy versus the number of laps remaining. And then the final lap crash happened, when Heidfeld and Prost made contact, allowing me to slip through and win the race. It was not the way that I would have wanted to win, but we were overjoyed. Sometimes you have to take the moments of good luck. It was very cool to be the first-ever winner of an E-Prix.”
In 2014, when you thought about where Formula E would be in ten years’ time: Which expectations have been met and which haven’t?
“In general, Formula E has moved forward a lot. Technically, the cars are faster and better. The venues and the quality of the races, drivers and teams continued to improve through the years. The championship is very professional and well organised. The races are very competitive. Economically, the championship fulfilled the expectations of the partners and sponsors. The overall exposure of Formula E has also improved. In the beginning, we had to explain what the championship is about, now everyone knows that Formula E exists. But, one thing that has fallen short of my expectations, is the general perception and understanding of the championship. There is a huge community that is against electric racing and in favour of traditional internal combustion motorsport. For me, motorsport does not just need to be one way, it is a sport that can use many different types of technology. I feel more could have been done to try and improve the public’s perception of Formula E.”
You have been very successful in Formula E: tied for the most wins and in the lead in terms of podiums. What do you need to feel comfortable and successful on track?
“You need a complete package, the team, driver and car. And it’s worth mentioning that most of my results were with the ABT team. Having this team on my side from day one was super important for me. We developed the car and team together. It was a good recipe for success. Added to this, I took Formula E very seriously and wanted to be successful. I wanted to win and become the champion. I also put in an enormous amount of effort, both on and off track. When I want something, I will give everything. And Formula E has been ten years of hard work, sleepless nights and pressure. In short, the success of our team came down to the effort, discipline and the will to make it work.”
What was your best Formula E weekend?
“Easy. Winning the title in Canada in July 2017. I arrived in Montreal as the underdog in the fight for the title and it was extremely special to leave Canada as the champion.”
And what was the worst Formula E weekend you have experienced?
“By far the race in Cape Town, when we did not race. I took part in the practice sessions, but it was the only race start that I have ever missed. Being on the grid, but not starting, was very weird.”
Unlike conventional internal combustion cars, electric racing cars offer many more design options. Do you think Formula E is being bold enough in this area?
“I think one of the championship’s flaws is that the people designing the cars are not car designers. At the beginning, I was fully behind the FIA being fully involved with the cars. But now, I do not think it makes sense for the regulator to design the cars. It would be better if the FIA defines the regulations and then the manufacturers develop their own complete cars accordingly.”
Dropping the formation lap, car changes, FanBoost, attack mode, energy limitation – Formula E has come up with a lot of new ideas or motorsport elements. What do you have in mind for the future?
“On the sporting side, the championship is very good. The races are exciting and there is plenty of overtaking. In general, some of these elements, like the random lottery for qualifying and FanBoost towards the end, were not as exciting as they were in the beginning. But what is most important is that the championship continues to evolve, and I am mostly happy about it. And now, with the four-wheel drive next season, it will have a huge impact on the races. I’ve been pushing for four-wheel drive for at least seven years. I am happy that we will finally have it, and it will be a game changer.”
It's less than 100 days until your first race with the newly formed ABT Lola team. What can we expect?
“I love this phase of joining a new team, when we have to put the different pieces of the puzzle together. I feel that the team is very experienced. There are a lot of good people that I have worked with before, and others that I have competed against in the past, but for whom I have a lot of respect. We are in a good position to start this new journey and I am excited to get going.”