Di Grassi frustrated not to have race in Brazil

ByAutoSport

Updated 02/04/2018 at 14:44 GMT

Reigning Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi is frustrated that the electric series is yet to race in his home country of Brazil.

Lucas Di Grassi (BRA), ABT Audi Sport FE01 on the podium during the Mexico City Formula E race at Puerto Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 6, 2016 in Mexico City

Image credit: Getty Images

Sao Paulo was set to host FE's first event in the country this season, but the race was postponed until the 2018/19 campaign at the request of the city authorities.

FE slotted in the Punta del Este round at the Uruguayan coastal circuit for the same date, where di Grassi scored his first podium of the season behind race winner Jean-Eric Vergne.

"I pushed really hard for [Brazilian] race to happen since the beginning," di Grassi told Autosport.

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"Sao Paulo then also was a work that we developed for three years and in the end it didn't happen.

"So yeah I'm frustrated that we are not racing in Sao Paulo or any where in Brazil to be honest.

"I think Rio cannot fit a race at this stage - [it] has a lot of other priorities - but Sao Paulo definitely could."

Lucas Di Grassi of Brazil and Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler competes during the Mexico E-Prix as part of the Formula E Championship at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on March 03, 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico

Image credit: Getty Images

The Sao Paulo race was postponed because the process of privately selling the area where the race was due to take place took longer than expected.

The race is intended to be on FE's 2018/19 calendar, and di Grassi also outlined Brazil's value to FE in commercial possibilities.

"It is super important because Brazil is the biggest market in South America or Latin America for vehicles - and also motorsport fans," he said.

"We have a lot of motorsport fans in Brazil, so having a race there would be awesome for me personally, but also for the series.

"We have a sponsor - CBMM Niobium [for the] Punta del Este E-Prix - but also it's a Brazilian sponsor, which was supposed to be in Sao Paulo.

"Again, that shows how important commercially and how important strategically having a Brazilian race is going to be for the championship."

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