ROKiT Venturi Racing took victory in race 2 of Diriyah ePrix in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with Edoardo Mortara taking victory by 0.500s from Andre Lotterer and his team-mate Lucas Di Grassi.
Speaking following the victory, Mortara commented:
What a day and what a result! The first part of the race was quite calm and I settled into a nice rhythm following Nyck [de Vries]. I think he was trying to pull away from us but he didn’t manage to so at that stage, it was quite clear that we had good pace. Our strategy was conservative but the race on a whole was very difficult for my nerves because of the constant pressure from behind! Fortunately, I kept cool and our strategy worked perfectly and I’m very glad to take my first win of the season. After taking eight points yesterday and then scoring 25 today it’s been a great start to the season – from here, we will be hoping to be just as consistent in Mexico. I’m so proud of everyone in the team and I can’t wait to go racing again next month.
Lucas Di Grassi commented following the race saying:
I’m very happy to score my first podium for ROKiT Venturi Racing. Starting from fourth we deployed our Attack Mode very well and with the strategy I was able to move all the way up to first position. I’m not sure what Nyck [de Vries] tried to achieve by fighting me so hard at such an early stage because it cost both of us energy but after that and letting Edo through, I was trying to save more energy. Robin [Frijns] overtook me just before the Safety Car came out but because the race didn’t resume, I wasn’t able to fight him for second. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t but in the end, this is motorsport. At this stage we know that the car is extremely competitive and the more experience I get behind the wheel, the more confident I know I’m going to feel. Starting the season with a double podium is a great achievement and from here, we need to be consistent and score in every single race. I’m confident that we can win in Mexico.
Team Principal Jerome D’Ambosio commented saying:
After yesterday’s performance it was clear that we had the pace to threaten for a place on the podium and by working hard overnight, we came back even stronger today. Taking not only the win but also a double podium and the lead in both World Championships is an incredible achievement and it’s one that we can be extremely happy with at this stage. From our side the race was quite challenging strategically but both drivers delivered near flawless drives and it was great to see Edo joined on the podium by Lucas in only his second start with the team. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes during the winter and I’m incredibly proud of everyone in the garage and back at base. A result like this is a testament to their hard work and it will only add to our high morale and motivation moving forward. From here, we need to ensure that we continue to operate at this level on a consistent basis but it’s only the first race weekend and now, our full focus is on Mexico City.
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