Three hours after taking a commanding victory in the Formula E premiere in Mexico, the stewards of the meeting excluded Lucas di Grassi from the race because his car was under the minimum weight limit. Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport accepted the decision. Team Boss Hans-Jürgen Abt: “We apologize to Lucas for our mistake.”
At the obligatory weighing after the race, Lucas di Grassi’s first car fell 1.8 kilograms below the stipulated minimum weight of 888 kilograms (including driver). The stewards then excluded the winner from the results. Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport chose not to appeal the decision, also because starting the next the race in Long Beach could not be guaranteed.
“The car was weighed several times here in Mexico and exceeded the minimum weight every time,” explains Hans-Jürgen Abt. “Because our team had not made any changes, we have no explanation for the measurement after the race. We will try to find out the reason for not making the minimum weight. At this moment we can only apologize to Lucas. He drove a great race and won convincingly by more than five seconds, but was robbed of his just reward. We will do everything possible to make amends for this mistake and get Lucas back into the thick of the title fight.”
Team mate Daniel Abt produced a strong performance in Mexico. The German also qualified for super pole in qualifying and started the race from fourth place alongside di Grassi. Throughout the entire race, Abt battled in the leading group and was on the way to his best result of the season when he touched a wall just a few laps before the finish. He finished seventh.
The series races in Long Beach on the doorstep of Los Angeles (USA) in three weeks on April 2, 2016.
