A profile of Formula 1 driver Lucas di Grassi

Di Grassi had an up-and-down debut season for Virgin

Lucas di Grassi 2010 Season Stats

Last updated: Thursday, 15 November 2012 12:32 UK

Race	Date	Start	Finish	Race Pts	Total Pts
Bahrain GP	14 Mar 2010	22	23	0	0
Australian GP	28 Mar 2010	22	16	0	0
Malaysian GP	4 Apr 2010	24	14	0	0
Chinese GP	18 Apr 2010	22	19	0	0
Spanish GP	9 May 2010	23	19	0	0
Monaco GP	16 May 2010	21	20	0	0
Turkish GP	30 May 2010	23	19	0	0
Canadian Grand Prix	13 Jun 2010	23	19	0	0
European GP	27 Jun 2010	21	17	0	0
British GP	11 Jul 2010	22	24	0	0
German GP	25 Jul 2010	24	21	0	0
Hungarian GP	1 Aug 2010	21	18	0	0
Belgian GP	29 Aug 2010	22	17	0	0
Italian GP	12 Sep 2010	21	20	0	0
Singapore GP	26 Sep 2010	20	15	0	0
Japanese GP	10 Oct 2010	21	24	0	0
Korean Grand Prix	24 Oct 2010	22	21	0	0
Brazilian GP	7 Nov 2010	21	23	0	0
Abu Dhabi GP	14 Nov 2010	22	18	0	0

BBC COMMENTATOR MARTIN BRUNDLE'S 2010 REVIEW

"Like Vitaly Petrov and Kamui Kobayashi, Lucas di Grassi is a product of the GP2 feeder series.

"With no in-season testing available it has been difficult for him, and I don't know if he was really prepared for F1.

"On occasion he has shown the pace to match his team-mate Timo Glock and overall it has not been too bad for him.

"Dollars rather than the stopwatch may determine his future, though."

DI GRASSI TAKES OUR DRIVER'S TEST

Name three attributes an F1 driver must have.

Discipline, calm and good reactions.

What is the hardest thing about being an F1 driver?

Doing interviews. No, I'm kidding. There's no hardest thing, I just love what I do.

But Formula 1 is not like a game or a tournament that is short - the championship is very long and you have to keep your edge for the whole of it. So to keep the determination even when you have bad times and to keep focused when you don't have the best car is difficult.

Formula 1 is not just about the car because…

... the driver drives the car.

If I was in charge of Formula 1 I would…

... make the show better. I have many ideas how! I'd make the circuits more entertaining for the drivers and for overtaking manoeuvres. I'd make racing a bit more like the grand prix we saw in Montreal where there was the very soft tyre which allowed different strategy modes.

If I could drive in any era of Formula 1 it would be…

now! I think now is the maybe the best line-up of drivers ever.

DI GRASSI STATS & FACTS Team: Virgin Racing Team-mate: Timo Glock Nationality: Brazilian Born: 11/8/1984, Sao Paulo Grand Prix debut: Bahrain 2010

How would you like to be remembered as a Formula 1 driver?

As the guy who was completely focused and who did everthing he could to have the best performance he possibly could.

Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost?

Senna

Spa or Monaco?

Spa. Both have their qualities though.

Who is your best friend among the drivers?

I have to say Felipe Massa. We raced together in go-karts since we were young so Felipe is a good friend. We both live in Monaco, in the same building actually.

Which F1 driver tells the worst jokes?

There are not many drivers who tell jokes.

Describe yourself in a few words.

I'm very dedicated and serious. I talk very little and I'm very independent so I don't mind staying away by myself.

Do you excel at any other sports?

I like pretty much all sports from golf to wake-boarding - it's like skiing on the water but with a board - water skiing, skiing on snow, cycling, squash, tennis, football, every sport really!

Who is the greatest sportsman of all time?

I would have to say Tiger Woods. Playing golf is so difficult, I've tried a few times and it makes me realise Tiger Woods is a great athlete.

What car other than an F1 car do you drive?

I don't have a car at the moment in Monaco but in Sao Paulo I have a BMW.

What is your favourite song and what does it remind you of?

I like rock music and a little bit of Brazilian music. I don't listen to music when I'm at the track, I just need it when I go jogging. Then I listen to house music, something with a rhythm like Jay-Z or David Guetta.

Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?

I like to stay at my house in Sao Paulo and just be quiet with no travelling.

What would be your perfect day off?

If I'm on holiday I prefer to stay quiet and just relax with friends - talk about something that is not racing - at the beach in Brazil - maybe with some girls.

Which famous person - dead or alive - would you like to have dinner with and why?

It's such a difficult question but I think with Ayrton Senna. I never met him as I was very young when he died and I'd like to hear his stories.

Tell us something about yourself that most F1 fans might not know?

London is my favourite city in Europe. I lived in South Kensington for two years at the beginning of my career and even if the weather is not so great or the food, I just love London. If I could choose a city to live other than Sao Paulo it would be London. Now I live in Monaco because it's a better place to stay calm and quiet and to train.