Formula E news: Di Grassi vs Wehrlein, Massa on form – Five things from Mexico City ePrix
LUCAS DI GRASSI picked up his first win of the Formula E season with a dramatic victory over Pascal Wehrlein in Mexico, but what were the main talking points from Round Four?
Lucas di Grassi beat Pascal Wehrlein in a stunning photo finish to secure victory during the dying seconds of the Mexico City ePrix.
The Brazilian left it late to squeeze past Wehrlein after the Mahindra driver ran out of energy with the chequered flag in sight.
Meanwhile, Nissan e.dams duo Oliver Rowland and Sebastian Buemi also ran out of power in a nail-biting race that was earlier red flagged following a huge accident between Nelson Piquet Jnr and Jean-Eric Vergne.
Felipe Massa scored the first points of his Formula E career in eighth while Jerome d’Ambrosio has moved to the top of the drivers’ standings after charging through from 19th on the grid to finish fourth – but what are the main talking points after the dust has settled?
Di Grassi wins thriller on the finish line
Brazilian Di Grassi celebrated “the best win of his career” after claiming one of the most dramatic finishes in Formula E history.
The Audi driver capitalised as Wehrlein began to run out of energy meters from the finish, claiming his first win of the season at the very last opportunity.
Di Grassi has now taken the chequered flag in three of the four Formula E races held in Mexico City, and becomes the fourth different driver to win four races this season.
New timed race format challenges teams as some run out of juice
It was a race to forget for new manufacturer Nissan, as a major strategic error led to both Rowland and Buemi finishing at the back.
The Japanese car giant was heading for a three-four finish – and maiden podium position - only to miscalculate the race length and run out of energy with just one lap remaining.
With Mahindra’s Wehrlein also running low on energy, teams have learnt the increased need to balance performance and energy management this season.
Mahindra take the lead in both Formula E championships
Despite Wehrlein’s frustrating day at the office, Mahindra Racing head into the Hong Kong E-Prix topping both the drivers’ and teams’ championships.
While the German driver missed out on his first Formula E win, an eventual sixth place (following a five-second penalty for corner-cutting) earned his team vital championship points.
Teammate D’Ambrosio went under the radar to put in an outstanding performance, finishing fourth after starting 19th on the grid.
The Belgian has leapfrogged Brit Sam Bird and now tops the standings once more.
Huge collision shows safety of series
In easily the biggest collision of the season so far, Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Nelson Piquet Jnr was sent airborne over the car of reigning Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne.
The Brazilian made contact with the rear of Vergne’s Techeetah and was sent flying into the barriers.
Fortunately, Piquet was quickly on the radio to confirm he was ok and managed to walk away.
The incident brought out the red flag and the unusual sight of all the cars parked in the pit lane with the drivers having to keep their concentration before a race restart.
Massa shows first signs of class but Vandoorne remains point-less
F1 legend Felipe Massa finally showed some of his racing prowess to score his first points in Formula E, but Stoffel Vandoorne continues to struggle.
Massa put in a blistering lap during qualifying to start third on the grid, and the Brazilian driver’s eventual finish of eighth, along with teammate Edoardo Mortara’s podium position will give Susie Wolff’s Venturi team huge confidence going into the Hong Kong E-Prix.
The same can’t be said for ex-McLaren man Vandoorne, who remains with a points finish since making the switch to the all-electric series.