Lucas di Grassi admitted he is hoping for points at the Monaco E-Prix, as his expectations with Lola Yamaha have been exceeded in the early races.
Season 11 marked the first season with the Lola and Yamaha partnership in Formula E with Lucas di Grassi and Zane Maloney behind the wheels.
The expectations coming into the season weren’t particularly high. With the focus on gradual performance and adjustments for the new team. However, they were pleasantly surprised in Miami when Di Grassi managed to take a surprise P2.
He was caught off guard by the pace in Miami, and voiced how his expectations started much lower than the performance so far suggests the team are capable of.
He told Fastest Formula News at the Monaco E-Prix media day, “We worked very hard for that podium. It was very, to be honest, unexpected. I thought that it was going to take much longer for us to achieve a podium.”
“Our main target at the beginning of the year was to score points. To score good points and to try to be, you know, one, two, three races on the top ten.”
Di Grassi admitted that the Miami E-Prix shifted the team’s expectations for the season and surprised the team overall. He told FFN, “it definitely ticked up a box on what we should achieve. But being so competitive so quick, we are actually very, very positively surprised.”
He also confessed that the strength Lola displayed in Miami was a good morale boost for the team.
“And it gives a good motivation to the team. It gives the right approach, the right motivation.”
Monaco expectations
Despite the strong weekend in Miami. Di Grassi wanted to keep his feet on the ground and remain realistic about the potential coming into Monaco.
He highlighted that while Lola are taking strides, they are still a significant step behind many of the other teams. Especially with the like of Porsche, Jaguar and Nissan.
He said, “The car has only a few months of development. You know, compared to Jaguar or Porsche or Nissan, they are doing this for at least six, eight years.”
“So we are catching up. Every race, we’re improving and trying to make the team and the car better. But we are still behind.”
There has been talk around the paddock that Monaco being a double header takes away from the prestige the event usually holds. Lucas Di Grassi sorely disagreed, emphasising his love of the double headers and providing his suggestions to make the races even better.
He said, “I think having two races is great. But if it was my home, I would have all the Formula E races as doubleheaders, but with very different types of days.”
The power of the attack mode
The attack mode has shown itself to me invaluable throughout Season 11, allowing drivers to make massive gains while having it activated. Di Grassi noted it as a significant part of the strategy to consider.
He said, “Well, the strategy in the race. Because in attack mode, you can overtake so many people. In Jeddah, for example, I used attack mode.”
“I went from 16th to 1st. It was super strong, the attack mode. So the strategy, how you use it, this is probably the biggest difference.”
With two races, Lola Yamaha and Lucas di Grassi will have two important opportunities to take points at the Monaco E-Prix.
