Podium ‘feels like a victory’ for Lucas Di Grassi after ‘Mexican miracle’

Lucas Di Grassi put all his ABB FIA Method E World Championship expertise to make use of on the 2022/23 season-opening Mexico Metropolis E-Prix, because the Brazilian handled immense stress to say a third-place end on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Because the solar rose on race day, no one may’ve predicted that Di Grassi would finish the day in direction of the sharp-end, with Mahindra Racing having seemed lower than convincing throughout pre-season testing and through Free Apply One. Free Apply Two was barely higher for Di Grassi, who was the one driver able to extracting any efficiency from Mahindra’s M9Electro powertrain. Heading into the primary qualifying session of the season, nobody had any hope for Mahindra or their buyer facet the ABT CUPRA Method E Crew, who’d languished on the again throughout Free Apply.

Unbelievably, while the opposite three Mahindra-powered vehicles struggled, Di Grassi made all of it the best way to the Last of the duels, the place he remarkably claimed the primary pole place of the Gen3 period. When it got here to the race, the previous Method E Champion began the race excellently after a strong launch. Di Grassi led the opening levels of the race and handled two early Security Vehicles properly; nevertheless, it was a mistake from him at Flip Two after the second Security Automotive restart which allowed Jake Dennis to lunge up the within at Flip Three.

Dennis went on to clear into the space, with Di Grassi having not had the tempo to flee to victory. He ended up defending for the majority of the race, with the likes of Jake Hughes and Pascal Wehrlein having appeared significantly quicker. The Brazilian used all his years of expertise within the all-electric collection, although, to keep up second place, till Wehrlein ultimately discovered a well past. While he had no reply for the German, he did handle to maintain Hughes behind to say a well-known rostrum on his Mahindra debut, securing him fifteen factors.

He truly walked away from Mexico Metropolis with eighteen factors, having claimed an extra three for attaining pole place. Di Grassi hailed his fortieth Method E podium as a “Mexican miracle”, with the Brazilian driver having been hoping to “make the workforce proud” forward of the race.

“What occurred at this time was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the rostrum and going house with 18 factors after a troublesome starting to the season is an affidavit to the exhausting work the workforce are placing in to make the automobile the most effective we are able to. I gave it my all at this time to attempt to make the workforce proud. I’m very glad to go away right here with this outcome, it looks like a victory to us. However that is just the start. We’d like extra constant outcomes and we have now started working exhausting for this.”

“It’s disappointing to not rating any factors” – Oliver Rowland

On the opposite facet of the Mahindra storage, it was a a lot more durable season opener for Oliver Rowland, who crossed the end line in thirteenth place. The British driver confronted difficulties throughout the overwhelming majority of the weekend in Mexico Metropolis and really certified in final place, on account of having struggled with rear tyre degradation.

The race didn’t go significantly better for Rowland, who struggled to make any important progress through the race. His race was summed up by a late collision with René Rast, which truly resulted within the NEOM McLaren Method E Crew driver retiring from the race, while his team-mate Hughes battled Rowland’s team-mate for the rostrum.

Ultimately, it was merely a “fairly powerful weekend” for the British Mahindra driver, who was disenchanted to complete exterior the factors, given his team-mates success.

“It’s been a fairly powerful weekend right here in Mexico. I struggled rather a lot in follow and qualifying. We modified so much for the race, which was a bit bit higher, however nonetheless not excellent. It’s disappointing to not rating any factors right here, however hopefully we are able to study from what occurred this weekend. Clearly Lucas did an incredible job and received some good strong factors for the workforce and hopefully we are able to transfer ahead in Saudi.”