2016–17 Formula E Champion · Formula E

Lucas di Grassi

He won the first race Formula E ever held, took the title in 2016–17, and raced in every season of the championship. In April 2026 he announced that the year would be his last.

Nationality
Brazilian
Born
11 August 1984 · São Paulo, Brazil
Teams
Audi ABT · Venturi · Mahindra · Lola Yamaha ABT
Championship
1 (2016–17)
Formula E
Every season, 2014–15 to 2025–26
Also
Formula One with Virgin, 2010 · WEC runner-up with Audi, 2016
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
2016–17 Formula E Champion
2014 — 2026
1
World Championship
14
Formula E Wins
42
Podium Finishes
2014
Won the First Race

Who is Lucas di Grassi?

Lucas di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian racing driver who won the 2016–17 Formula E Championship and the first race the series ever held, at Beijing in 2014. He took 14 wins and 42 podiums across all twelve Formula E seasons, raced in Formula One for Virgin in 2010, and announced his retirement in April 2026.

Full name
Lucas Tucci di Grassi
Nationality
Brazilian
Formula E career
2014–2026
Best known for
Winning Formula E's first ever race, and the 2016–17 title

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 8 sources

Rider Profile

Lucas di Grassi: Full Biography

Lucas Tucci di Grassi is a Brazilian racing driver who won the 2016–17 Formula E Championship and the first race the series ever held, at Beijing in September 2014. He competed in every season of the championship from its first to its twelfth, and announced in April 2026 that 2026 would be his last as a professional driver.

São Paulo He started karting at ten and came up through the Brazilian and European junior ladders — Formula Renault and Formula 3 Sudamericana, then British Formula 3 and the Formula 3 Euro Series, winning the Macau Grand Prix in 2005. Three seasons in GP2 brought four wins and the 2007 runner-up place behind Timo Glock.

Formula One and Audi He raced in Formula One for Virgin in 2010, eighteen starts without a point, and was dropped for the following year. Pirelli then hired him as its official tyre tester, and Audi took him to the World Endurance Championship, where he was second at Le Mans in 2014 and runner-up in the championship in 2016.

Formula E He won the series’ inaugural race and the 2016–17 title with ABT, and stayed for twelve seasons through Audi, Venturi, Mahindra and back to ABT. His fourteenth and final win came at Shanghai in July 2026, ten weeks after he had announced his retirement.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Lucas di Grassi

Chapter 01

The Long Way to a Race Seat

He was born in São Paulo and started karting at ten, then took the slow route: runner-up in Brazilian Formula Renault and in Formula 3 Sudamericana, two wins in British Formula 3 in 2004, a season in the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005 with one victory and, at the end of it, the Macau Grand Prix. Three years in GP2 followed, four race wins among them and the 2007 championship lost to Timo Glock. Formula One came in 2010, with Virgin, one of three new teams that arrived that season with far less money than the field they were joining. He started eighteen races and scored no points, which was roughly what the car allowed, and was dropped at the end of the year. What came next was more useful than it sounded: Pirelli hired him as its official tyre tester, developing the compounds the whole grid would race on.

Lucas di Grassi's orange and black Virgin VR-01 Formula One car on track during a practice session at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, his debut weekend. Virgin VR-01 · practice, Bahrain Grand Prix, 2010 Photo: Lucas di Grassi, Virgin Racing, practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix (2010) by Andrew Griffith from United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 02

The First Race

Audi took him into the World Endurance Championship, where he shared an LMP1 car for four seasons, finished second at Le Mans in 2014 and was runner-up in the championship in 2016. Alongside it came something entirely new. Formula E held its first race at Beijing in September 2014, and di Grassi won it — inheriting the lead when Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld collided at the final corner of the last lap, in a crash that became the series' first famous image. He was second in the championship in 2015–16 and champion in 2016–17, on two wins, three poles and seven podiums across twelve races. He then defended the title carrying number 1 and finished second again.

Lucas di Grassi on the podium in his red and yellow ABT Schaeffler overalls, one arm raised and the winner's trophy held aloft, after the 2016 Paris ePrix. Winner of the Paris ePrix, 2016 Photo: Lucas di Grassi, winner of the Paris ePrix (2016) by Liondartois / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 03

Every Season

What sets him apart is not one season but all of them. He raced in the first Formula E championship and in the twelfth, and in every one in between — through the ABT and Audi years, a season with Venturi, one with Mahindra and a return to ABT for the last three. The later years were lean: no wins between 2021 and 2026, a twenty-third place in the standings in 2023–24. On 30 April 2026 he announced that the season would be his last as a professional racing driver, saying that every great race has a final lap. Ten weeks later, at Shanghai on 5 July, he won again — his fourteenth Formula E victory, and the last of them.

Lucas di Grassi's dark red Mahindra Racing Formula E car on track at the 2023 Berlin E-Prix. Mahindra Racing · Berlin E-Prix, 2023 Photo: Lucas di Grassi, Mahindra Racing, Berlin E-Prix (2023) by Steffen Prößdorf / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Career Timeline

Lucas di Grassi Career Timeline: 1984–Present

Born in São Paulo

Lucas Tucci di Grassi is born on 11 August in São Paulo.

British Formula 3

Takes two consecutive victories in his first European season.

Macau

Wins the Macau Grand Prix, Formula 3's blue-riband event.

GP2 Runner-Up

Loses the championship to Timo Glock.

Formula One

Races a full season for Virgin, eighteen starts and no points.

Pirelli

Becomes the tyre manufacturer's official Formula One test driver.

Audi

Joins the World Endurance Championship with Audi Sport Team Joest.

Beijing

Wins the first race in Formula E history, and is second at Le Mans.

Paris, and a WEC Second

Wins in Paris and finishes runner-up in the World Endurance Championship.

World Champion

Takes the Formula E title with ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport.

Venturi

Leaves Audi's orbit for the first time, and wins again.

Retirement Announced

Says in April that the season will be his last as a professional driver.

Shanghai

Wins on 5 July, his fourteenth Formula E victory and his final one.

By the Numbers

Lucas di Grassi Formula E Record, Season by Season

Lucas di Grassi season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2014–15 Audi Sport ABT 1 0 6 133 3
2015–16 ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 3 0 7 153 2
2016–17 ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 2 3 7 181 1
2017–18 Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 2 0 7 144 2
2018–19 Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 2 0 3 108 3
2019–20 Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 0 0 2 77 6
2020–21 Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 2 0 3 87 7
2021–22 ROKiT Venturi Racing 1 0 4 126 5
2022–23 Mahindra Racing 0 1 1 32 15
2023–24 ABT CUPRA 0 0 0 4 23
2024–25 Lola Yamaha ABT 0 0 1 32 17
2025–26 Lola Yamaha ABT 1 0 1 32 15

The championship season is highlighted. Career totals: 14 wins · 4 pole positions · 42 podiums · 1,109 points across twelve seasons. Wins, poles and podiums each sum to exactly the figures in the Wikipedia infobox, and the points column is corroborated independently: Formula E's own retirement announcement of 30 April 2026 gave his career total as 1,077 points, which is precisely what this table sums to through 2024–25, before the 32 he scored in his final season. The one figure not settled is starts — this table gives 160 race entries while the infobox says 153, and neither source explains the gap, so no career starts figure is claimed on this page. Formula E's biography page is a season behind at 13 wins and 41 podiums. Figures verified 4 September 2026.

Lucas di Grassi in his own words

In His Own Words
Every great race has a final lap, and I want mine to be driven with the same intensity, commitment, and love that brought me here.
Lucas di Grassi · announcing his retirement from racing, April 2026
Frequently Asked

Lucas di Grassi: Frequently Asked Questions

Did Lucas di Grassi win the first Formula E race?

Yes. He won the 2014 Beijing ePrix on 13 September 2014, the first race in the championship's history, inheriting the lead when Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld collided at the final corner of the last lap.

Has Lucas di Grassi won the Formula E championship?

Once, in 2016–17, with ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, on two wins, three pole positions and seven podiums from twelve races. He was runner-up in 2015–16 and again in 2017–18, when he carried number 1 on the car.

How many Formula E races has Lucas di Grassi won?

Fourteen, along with 42 podium finishes and four pole positions across twelve seasons. The last came at Shanghai on 5 July 2026, ten weeks after he had announced his retirement.

Has Lucas di Grassi retired?

He announced on 30 April 2026 that 2026 would be his final season as a professional racing driver, saying that every great race has a final lap. He said at the time that he would share more about what comes next.

Did Lucas di Grassi race in Formula One?

Yes, a full season with Virgin Racing in 2010 — eighteen starts, no points, in one of three new teams that entered the championship that year. He was dropped for 2011 and became Pirelli's official Formula One tyre tester instead.

What did Lucas di Grassi do in endurance racing?

He drove LMP1 cars for Audi in the World Endurance Championship from 2012 to 2016, finishing second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 and runner-up in the championship in 2016, with two wins that season.

What did Lucas di Grassi win before Formula E?

The Macau Grand Prix in 2005, Formula 3's most prestigious race. He also won four GP2 races and finished runner-up in that championship in 2007, behind Timo Glock.

How many Formula E seasons did Lucas di Grassi contest?

All twelve, from the championship's first season in 2014–15 to 2025–26, driving for Audi ABT, Venturi, Mahindra and Lola Yamaha ABT.

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. Lucas di Grassi announces retirement from Formula E · Formula E (official)
  2. Lucas di Grassi — racing statistics · Formula E (official)
  3. 2014 Beijing ePrix · Wikipedia
  4. 2016–17 Formula E Championship · Wikipedia
  5. 2025–26 Formula E World Championship · Wikipedia
  6. 2005 Macau Grand Prix · Wikipedia
  7. Lucas di Grassi · Wikipedia
  8. Lucas di Grassi (Q172783) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by KozmozInspire. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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