Lucas Di Grassi delivered a sensational first Formula E victory for Lola Yamaha Abt in the second Shanghai E-Prix, as Pascal Wehrlein took the championship leader after Mitch Evans failed to start the race.
Evans was hit by a technical problem before the start leaving him consigned to the Jaguar garage as the race got under way, initially for two laps behind the safety car due to heavy rain, followed by a standing start.
Polesitter Felipe Drugovich tried to hold the lead, but the Porsches of Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Muller soon moved ahead.
With the track drying, it created several different strategies in play: some immediately tried to break away – including the top three – using of the first of the two Attack Modes in the opening laps, while others waited and save energy for the track surface to improve and make better use of more favourable conditions later on.
Those who preserved their energy and Attack Modes were able to profit when on lap 24 Zane Maloney had to park his Lola-Yamaha at the side of the track due to a right-rear wheel failure.
A Full Course Yellow was called which effectively annulled all the drivers in Attack Mode, including on-track leader Joel Eriksson, Jean-Eric Vergne and Wehrlein. Meanwhile Di Grassi, running third at the time, still had one Attack Mode left which he waited to use for the final three laps.
Foto di: Getty Images
The Brazilian kept his cool to overtake both Eriksson and Vergne over the final two laps, taking the lead into Turn 1 on the final lap from the Citroen driver, to secure his first Formula E win since 2022 and the team’s first-ever victory in the series. Vergne held on for second, as Eriksson still took his first podium in Formula E.
Wehrlein was unable to stay in touch with the leading group and finished fourth, but still took the championship lead, which he now heads by nine points over Evans.
Sebastien Buemi couldn’t follow Di Grassi’s late charge with his own Attack Mode and had to settle for fifth, ahead of Drugovich and Muller.
A pitstop under the FCY for fresh tyres allowed Oliver Rowland to climb back up to eighth place, putting Taylor Barnard’s DS Penske and the Cupra of Dan Ticktum behind him, the latter forced to recover from the back after running wide on the grass on lap four.
Formula E Shanghai E-Prix results
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– The Autosport.com Team
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