Di Grassi wins after incredible finale in Mexico

Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) won an incredible Mexico ePrix, with a totally crazy finish between the Brazilian and Pascal Wehrlein (Mahindra), long in a position to win for the first time in the discipline.

The German had the best start when the lights went out while Oliver Rowland (Nissan e.dams) quickly took second place from Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) braking for the first corner .

In the lead, Wehrlein began to widen the gap, but his momentum was quickly stopped by a Full Course Yellow, then a red flag, deployed on the second lap, after the collision involving Nelson Piquet (Jaguar Racing) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Techeetah).

The Brazilian took off on the car of the Frenchman who defended his position and ended his race at the side of the track after hitting the protective barriers.

Huge crash for @NelsonPiquet involving involved @JeanEricVergne and @AlexanderSims. All fine but the red flag has been deployed #MexicoCityEPrice pic.twitter.com/nqDIFobITi

- ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) February 16, 2019

Piquet also hit Alexander Sims' BMW i Andretti in his outing. The first champion of the discipline finally got out of his damaged Jaguar and all the drivers involved remained unhurt.

The DS Techeetah team as well as BMW i Andretti then worked around the single-seaters of Vergne and Sims to repair the damage, in particular with a change of front wing for Sims. After a little more than twenty minutes of interruption, the test can finally resume.

Pascal Wehrlein is still leading the race, but is unable to really overtake Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi. The trio, briefly at the forefront, finally returned in the last quarter of an hour. Sébastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa (BMW i Andretti).

Di Grassi then took advantage of an error from Rowland to take second place and launched an attack on the leader Wehrlein to bring an end to the incredible scenario.

Nissans flattened, di Grassi heroic

With batteries almost empty in several cars at the start of the last lap, the suspense remains for victory. Di Grassi then tried everything against Wehrlein by slipping inside at the first chicane.

Wehrlein cuts the corner and maintains the lead of the race when the two Nissan e.dams of Rowland and Buemi stop, empty of all energy. We think the Mahindra driver is going to resist until the end, but di Grassi finally overtakes Wehrlein on the line, the German in turn deprived of energy.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED!? @LucasdiGrassi wins the 2019 CBMM Niobium #MexicoCityEPrice #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/oGgXHlb3pS

- ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) February 16, 2019

The Brazilian ultimately won ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein having been penalized 5″ on his race time for cutting the chicane on the last lap. Edoardo Mortara (Venturi) climbs onto the podium ahead of Jérôme d’Ambrosio (Mahindra) and André Lotterer (DS Techeetah). Wehrlein takes 6th place.

Jean-Eric Vergne was not more successful in the second part of the race, after being sent into a spin by Mitch Evans (Jaguar Racing). The Frenchman finished 13th, two places ahead of Tom Dillmann (NIO).

.@JeanEricVergne drops down the order after contact with @mitchevans_ in the Foro Sol #MexicoCityEPrice pic.twitter.com/6D9soM90lv

- ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) February 16, 2019

In the general classification, Jérôme d'Ambrosio takes the lead with 53 points, seven points ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa. Sam Bird (Virgin Racing), only 9th last night, falls to 3rd place.

Race ranking

Discover the full report of the Mexico ePrix, produced by our special correspondent in Mexico, in issue 2204 of AUTOhebdo, available from Tuesday evening in digital version, and from this Thursday on newsstands.