Dominant di Grassi takes home FE win for Audi in Berlin

Lucas di Grassi controlled the Berlin E-Prix to claim a dominant home FIA Formula E victory for Audi in Germany.

The 2016/17 champion started third and made quick progress to overtake HWA’s Stoffel Vandoorne for second place at Turn 6, before pulling off an almost-identical move on polesitter Sebastien Buemi to snatch the lead six laps in.

di Grassi immediately pulled clear of the field and scampered into a comfortable lead he never relinquished to record his second win of the 2018/19 season and move up to second place in the championship.

Buemi struggled to match the Audi driver throughout and was left to settle for second place, marking his first podium appearance of what has been a difficult campaign with the Nissan e.dams squad.

FE points leader and reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne charged through the order and pulled off a late divebomb pass on Antonio Felix da Costa to seal the final spot on the Berlin podium, but ran out of laps to challenge Buemi for second.

BMW-Andretti driver da Costa fended off Vandoorne and Daniel Abt in a close battle over fourth place, with Abt ensuring both Audis finished inside the top six at its home race as he took sixth.

Alexander Sims took seventh ahead of Nissan’s Oliver Rowland and Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird. Pascal Wehrlein rounded out the top ten for Mahindra to bag the final point on offer.

di Grassi now sits just six points behind points leader Vergne in the drivers' standings with three rounds remaining heading into the inaugural Bern E-Prix on June 22.