Di Grassi Reloaded to Battle for Season 7 Title alongside Rast

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has confirmed the team driver´s line-up ahead of the seventh season of Formula E, the first as an FIA world championship.

The 2016/17 ABB FIA Formula E champion, Lucas di Grassi, 36, returns for his seventh season with the German squad, joined by new teammate René Rast behind the wheel of the Audi e-tron FE07.

Lucas di Grassi

“I have experienced everything in these six years: great successes, defeats, insane emotions. And the best is yet to come because the start-up from back then is now turning into an FIA World Championship,” said the Brazilian driver.

All in all, the Sao Paulo native – who was the first driver to join the all-electric series, has started 69 races, claimed ten victories, clinched three pole positions, and visited the podium on 32 occasions, summing up an impressive number of 796 points.

He added: “Together with Audi and René, I will give everything in 2021 to have a say in the fight for the world championship title.”

René Rast stood for Daniel Abt at the Season 6 showdown in Berlin last August.
The German secured 29 points during the six-race grand finale, adapting quickly to the Gen 2 single-seater, paying a visit to the podium at Tempelhof.

René Rast

“The races in Berlin have definitely whetted my appetite for more, so I’m now looking forward to my first full season in Formula E,” says Rast.

The 34-year-old enjoyed a first taste of the electric single-seaters debuting at home soil with Team Aguri, temporarily replacing Antonio Felix da Costa at the seventh round of the 2015/2016 season.

Now, DTM reigning champion and current leader of the season, Rast returns to Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler as a full-time partner to di Grassi, joining the battle for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

“Starting in this world championship for Audi is the next exciting chapter in my career, and I am really looking forward to it,” he concluded.

On Audi´s duo of drivers for the 2020/2021 campaign, the Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass commented: “For me, it was extremely important to have two drivers who push each other to peak performance. With Lucas and René, we have succeeded in doing this brilliantly.

“Lucas is the most successful driver in the field and extremely hungry to win his second title. René has already left an impressive mark in Berlin. We are enjoying his determination year after year in the DTM. I am already looking forward to experiencing it in Formula E.”

Watch the video: Lucas di Grassi continues his journey with Audi

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will electrify the city streets of Santiago with a doubleheader event on Chilean soil.
Parque O’Higgins will serve as host for the series season-opener scheduled for mid-January, which will be held behind closed doors for health and safety purposes.

Images courtesy of Audi Media / Video: Audi Media TV