Lucas di Grassi

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Lucas di Grassi
2007 GP2 Series driver
Nationality	Brazilian
Current team	ART Grand Prix
Car No.	2 (TBC)
Former teams	Durango
Starts	19
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Debut season	2006
Best season	17th (2006)
2006 position	17th

Lucas di Grassi (b. 11 August 1984) is a racing driver from São Paulo, Brazil, whose career has revolved around karting and single seater formula racing. In 2007, he is registered to compete in the GP2 championship with the reigning champion team, ART Grand Prix.

[edit] Early formula career

Di Grassi's career in karting peaked in 2000, with a 5th place in the Formula A World Championship. He began his formula career in Brazilian Formula Renault in 2001, finished as championship runner-up in 2002, and then graduated to Formula 3 the following year. In 2003, he drove a Dallara F301 Mugen-Honda for Avallone Motorsport in Formula Three Sudamericana. He finished as the championship runner-up, with one win and eleven other podium finishes.[1] He also travelled to Europe to make four race starts in the F3 Euroseries with Prema Powerteam, achieving a best finish of fourth place.[2] The following year, he made a permanent move to Europe and took a drive with Hitech Racing in the British F3 Championship. His season peaked with two wins, and he was classified in eighth place overall.[3]

Another of that year's highlights was a podium finish on his debut (with Hitech Racing) at the Macau Grand Prix.

In 2005, di Grassi took another step up in a full-time return to the Euroseries with Manor Motorsport. His timing was good, since the former British series teams' champion was by then genuinely competitive against the more established European teams. He achieved one win, six podiums, and scored consistently to finish third in the standings.[4]

At the end of the season, di Grassi returned to Macau, this time with Manor, and won the event from third on the grid.[5]

[edit] GP2

2006 brought di Grassi to the next stage in his career: promotion to the GP2 Grand Prix support series with Team Durango. It was a modest debut season, however, with only 8 points and 17th place in the championship standings.[6] This season, at the age of 22, he has been given the opportunity to drive for the champion team of the last two years; ART Grand Prix.[7]