The key strength that convinced di Grassi to join Formula E’s 2023 tailender

“What I’m actually trying ahead to is preventing for the championship after season 10. That is the place I wish to get again to and though nothing is 100% sure, I’m very sure that Abt will make the perfect resolution.”

Lucas di Grassi’s return to Abt Cupra forward of the upcoming 2023-24 Formulation E marketing campaign is perhaps a shock when trying on the uncooked statistics as, on paper, di Grassi has moved from the second-worst workforce to the worst based mostly on final season’s closing classification.

Mahindra completed 20 factors away from its buyer outfit Abt, however each had been comprehensively behind the efficiency of different groups as the previous outfit suffered quite a few delays to its improvement of the brand new Gen3 machine whereas the latter made a late resolution to rejoin the Formulation E grid after a yr away.

Beforehand Abt and di Grassi loved a protracted and profitable relationship collectively that neither facet significantly needed to finish. However Audi withdrawing its involvement from the workforce, which subsequently withdrew from Formulation E in 2021 signalled the top of a partnership that had lasted seven years, yielding a drivers’ title for di Grassi in 2016-17 and the groups’ crown a yr later.

Di Grassi was compelled to seek out employment elsewhere, becoming a member of Venturi – the place he recorded one win and fifth within the standings, earlier than switching to Mahindra final season for what was hoped by each events to be the beginning of a long-term endeavour. The marketing campaign began brightly, with di Grassi bagging pole within the Mexico Metropolis season opener and ending on the rostrum – overwhelmed solely by Porsche powertrain customers Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein.

However thereafter his marketing campaign crumbled, because the Brazilian solely reached the factors twice extra throughout 15 races, whereas the workforce additionally parted methods with Oliver Rowland – now again at Nissan – after the midway level of the season.

The lacklustre efficiency of the workforce stemmed again to the departure of long-standing workforce principal Dilbagh Gill in September 2022, a time when the event of the brand new Gen3 machine was at a essential part. Though ex-FIA man Frederic Bertrand took over on the helm, di Grassi believes very important momentum was misplaced as nicely, whereas a basic change in course meant it was at all times going to be on the backfoot.

Di Grassi claimed a shock pole for the Mexico season opener, however the the rest of his season at Mahindra was disappointing

Photograph by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

“The 4 months we had no management was very, crucial as a result of it was main as much as a brand new automotive, advanced automotive, so we had been delayed with every part,” says di Grassi. “When Fred got here onboard, you first want to come back into the corporate, perceive the issues after which begin making the selections. Regardless who you set there, it’s a gradual course of.”

He provides: “I had agreed with Dilbagh we might make some adjustments very quick however, as he left, I couldn’t after which I didn’t wish to wait one other yr or extra. I needed to go to an setting that I knew I could possibly be aggressive.

“I’ve just a few extra years in entrance of me. I feel I did an excellent season final yr, however I should be in the fitting setting, I should be aggressive whereas I feel I nonetheless can win races and championships. I can’t wait 5 years for the workforce to be aggressive once more.”

“I do know operationally Abt may be very, very sturdy. I feel it is one of many strongest in Formulation E” Lucas di Grassi

The 39-year-old is without doubt one of the most profitable drivers on the grid, at present tied on essentially the most wins within the all-electric championship alongside Sebastien Buemi with 13. Considered one of solely 5 drivers to have competed in additional than 100 races, he has extremely missed just one Formulation E race, when each Mahindra and Abt vehicles withdrew from the Cape City E-Prix because of suspension failure considerations final season.

Even with their previous success collectively, the choice to maneuver again to Abt would possibly seem to be a roll of the cube for di Grassi, however he has causes to be optimistic. Even throughout a season the place it completed final, there have been glimmers of hope that Abt could as soon as once more attain the entrance in Formulation E as Nico Muller, who’s remaining with the workforce for a second season, claimed three factors finishes within the closing 4 races of the marketing campaign to underline the workforce’s continued progress.

However the spotlight got here in qualifying for the second Berlin E-Prix when, in moist situations, Muller and team-mate Robin Frijns pulled off the shock of the season by locking out the entrance row. The session had been the primary time all of the groups had run in utterly moist situations collectively and highlighted that, whereas it could have been behind its rivals on pure efficiency, from an engineering perspective Abt was as sturdy as ever.

That may be a level which has drawn di Grassi again to the workforce, as he says: “I do know operationally Abt may be very, very sturdy. I feel it’s the strongest workforce, if not the strongest workforce, [then] one of many strongest in Formulation E.”

A surprising moist qualifying in Berlin put each Abt vehicles on the entrance row within the spotlight of the workforce’s Formulation E return

Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

At an age when many drivers could be contemplating retirement, di Grassi is already trying past the upcoming season – which will get beneath means with pre-season testing in Valencia subsequent week. The ex-Virgin Formulation 1 driver has focused the 2024-25 marketing campaign, when an evolution of the Gen3 automotive is because of be put into service, as a time when he would possibly have the ability to race on the entrance in Formulation E, whereas Abt can have had a second season beneath its belt since returning.

It is clear that regardless of the frustration of the latest marketing campaign, di Grassi states he’s as hungry as ever to win races and problem for the championship. There are not any plans but to observe his former Audi LMP1 team-mate Andre Lotterer in stepping away from single-seater racing.

“In the mean time I wish to stay within the championship so long as I’m aggressive, that’s my goal,” says di Grassi. “I don’t have a timeframe in thoughts, so far as I feel I can win races I’ll nonetheless be there. That could possibly be two, three, 4, 5 years, I don’t know. In the mean time I’m planning for let’s say the subsequent two years to see the place I’m after which to maneuver with that.

“And if I’m not aggressive for any cause, let’s say for consecutive seasons and I really feel that I’m not hungry anymore for any cause, the automotive shouldn’t be aggressive, then additionally there could be no downside [in retiring]. It’s not possible that I’d change sequence.

“I’ve completed my profession in an excellent means from F1 to the World Endurance Championship to Formulation E, and Formulation E is a championship that I helped to create. I like all people there so ultimately I feel it’s virtually sure that I’ll end my profession in Formulation E within the subsequent three, 4, 5 years.”

Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Di Grassi recognises that success could not come immediately, however is assured he can get again to successful methods at Abt