Lucas Di Grassi holds off Edoardo Mortara to win penultimate Formula E World Championship round in Berlin

ByBen Southby

Updated 14/08/2021 at 15:57 GMT

“We lost a very important race in Rome in the last two laps. So to have won the race here means a lot to me and to Audi so I am super happy,” Lucas Di Grassi said after holding off a late challenge from Edoardo Mortara. “I tried to make a move and open the gap with the attack mode. Everything is fully open."

Audi's Lucas Di Grassi held off Venturi Racing rival Edoardo Mortara by just 0.141 seconds to win the penultimate round of the Formula E World Championship in Berlin, as he moves to sixth in the overall standings.

The safety car was required after a six-lap stalemate when Sam Bird ground to a halt with a suspected driveshaft failure on the main straight.

At the point of restart, Di Grassi allowed Mortara to put the pressure on as the race began to heat up.

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Di Grassi eventually closed in on leader Jean-Eric Vergne of the DS Techeetah’s, when the two-time champion appeared to have problems with his grip and rapidly fell behind.

PUEBLA, MEXICO - JUNE 20: Lucas Di Grassi of Brazil driving the (11) Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship - Puebla E-Prix Round 9 at Autodromo Miguel E Abed on June 20, 2021 in Puebla, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Im

Image credit: Eurosport

Di Grassi managed to hold on for the win, with Mortara crossing the line second, as Jaguar’s Mitch Evans shot-up two places late on to secure third place and a fifth podium finish of the season.

Norman Nato missed out on a podium finish by 0.09 seconds as Jake Dennis cemented fifth for BMW Andretti.

Vergne led for the majority of the race, losing out as he and reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa lost a provisional drivers’ and teams’ points lead as they shipped places.

Speaking after his winning display, Lucas Di Grassi said his team "always believed it" as Audi prepares for a final farewell from Formula E.

“We lost a very important race in Rome in the last two laps. So to have won the race here means a lot to me and to Audi so I am super happy,” Di Grassi said.

I tried to make a move and open the gap with the attack mode. Everything is fully open.

Going into the final round, Mercedes’ Nyck De Vries leads the World Championship standings by three points, with Mortara closing in behind.

Di Grassi sits sixth after driving himself into contention in Berlin, four points behind third placed British driver Dennis.

Jaguar’s Evans is just one point outside the top three spots, and sandwiched between him and Di Grassi in Dutch racer Robin Frijns.

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