Lucas di Grassi will partner Edoardo Mortara to form a new line-up at Venturi Racing for the 2021/22 Formula E season.
Having competed with Audi since the start of the Formula E championship, di Grassi will have a new team for the first time in his electric racing career, as he joins Venturi alongside Mortara in a new pairing, for the 2022 season.
Di Grassi will replace Norman Nato at Venturi, who was promoted to the race seat after few years as reserve. The release doesn’t mention if the Frenchman is still with the outfit, as he becomes the second Formula E driver to lose his seat after winning a race in 2020/21.
The team, though, is on the up, with Mortara looking in a good shape. The experience which di Grassi will bring, will be valuable going forward. The Brazilian not only has the 12 wins against his name, but also the 2016/17 championship.
“Anyone who knows me know how competitive I am – driving for a team that I know can fight at the front and really challenge for the championship is essential for me,” said di Grassi. “ROKiT Venturi Racing was simply the best choice and I’m really happy to be part of the team. I’ve followed Venturi since Season 1 and I know that they have a strong history in Monaco. The team performed very, very well last season.
“You can see that the team has progressed a lot in recent years, the momentum is really there and they have shown clear improvements in every area. Edo had a fantastic season, really strong, he was fighting for the title until the very end and there were many times over the season that I was racing both Venturi cars and I could see how competitive they were.
“It’s not just about the team though, I’m really happy to drive alongside Edo, we’ve known each other for a very long time, we part of the Audi program together, I respect him as a driver, as a human – he’s a very talented driver and a great character, I think we’re going to work really well together,” summed di Grassi.
At the same time, Mortara, stated: “I’m really happy to be continuing with the team and it’s a pleasure to welcome Lucas to the family. We had a very strong season this year, my best so far in Formula E which was also testimony to the hard work of the team around me. We’re on good trajectory and we want to maintain that moving forward.
“Competing against Lucas in the past he has always been extremely competitive and he’s very good when it comes to energy management – one of the most critical points to being successful in Formula E. The progress we made in Season 7 was great but there is still plenty to do and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Meanwhile, Susie Wolff, added: “Last season we demonstrated that we have a strong package, there were many highlights throughout the season starting with a podium and finishing with a win. Edo showcased to everyone what we have known all along – that he’s a World Championship contender.
“Moving forward to Season 8, Edo is joined by Lucas – a proven Formula E Championship winner who also brings a wealth of experience. They will push each other and drive us forward as a team. To have both cars scoring points in every race is essential for us for the Team’s Championship and with our new driver line-up, there’s a lot to feel optimistic about heading into Season 8.”
Ready to make history 🏁
Welcome home @edomortara and @lucasdigrassi ⚡ @Susie_Wolff @FIAFormulaE #MadeInMonaco #ABBFormulaE #ROKiTVenturiRacing #Motorsport #FormulaE #WeAreROKiT pic.twitter.com/8L7xUFq95H— Maserati MSG Racing (@maseratimsg) September 15, 2021