24h Le Mans
Third, second, fourth: these are the results achieved by Lucas di Grassi, 31 years old, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in his three participations with Audi. Let's hope the order reverses direction now that the Brazilian driver has gone from the third car entered by the marque at Le Mans to one of the two winning cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)...
For his very first race with the Audi R18 Ultra, in 2012 at home at Interlagos, Lucas di Grassi claimed a podium finish. It was a good omen even though the Brazilian driver would have to wait patiently to become a winning driver in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Indeed, it happened in the third car he debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013 with Marc Gené and Oliver Jarvis. The São Paulo native was able to show what he was capable of by reaching the second step on the podium at the 12 Hours of Sebring the same year, and the third step at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps a month before the 24 Hours.
Allan McNish's unexpected retirement at the end of 2013 opened up a choice spot for di Grassi the following year. He joined Tom Kristensen, nine-time winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Loïc Duval. Unfortunately, Duval had a violent accident during the free practice at the 82nd edition of the 24 Hours and had to be replaced by Marc Gené, with whom di Grassi had debuted at Le Mans the year before. The trio finished in second place behind Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, winners for the third time.
Like Allan McNish in 2013, Kristensen announced his retirement from competition at the end of 2014 and Audi chose Oliver Jarvis, with whom di Grassi had also debuted at Le Mans in 2012, to replace the Dane. But, the beginning of the season did not go off as well as needed and Duval's accident at Le Mans prematurely ended the trio's hopes for victory. Even though the 2013 winner managed to reach his pit and then return to the track, di Grassi, Duval and Jarvis only finished fourth.
On the other hand, the Brazilian resident of Monaco reached the third step on the podium in Formula E, the new electric single-seaters championship sanctioned by the FIA. Like many of his buddies in endurance, di Grassi competed in the entire season, and scored a victory at the kickoff in Beijing, China. He will return to China with the FIA WEC, but this time in Shanghai, at the end of October, but before that the 6 Hours of Nürburgring on August 30th.
Happy Birthday!
Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY JUNE 13 2015, RACE. Lucas di Grassi had to settle for fourth place at Le Mans this year.
