2017 Mexico City ePrix
The 2017 Mexico City ePrix (officially the 2017 FIA Formula E Julius Baer Mexico City ePrix) was a Formula E electric car race held on 1 April 2017 before a crowd of 36,000 people at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the fourth round of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship and the second Mexico City ePrix. The 45-lap race was won by Audi Sport ABT driver Lucas di Grassi after starting from 15th position. Techeetah's Jean-Éric Vergne finished second and Virgin driver Sam Bird was third.
| 2017 Mexico City ePrix | |||||
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Race 4 of 12 of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship
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2017 Formula E layout of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | |||||
| Race details | |||||
| Date | 1 April 2017 | ||||
| Official name | 2017 FIA Formula E Julius Baer Mexico City ePrix | ||||
| Location | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 2.093 km (1.301 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 45 laps, 94.199 km (58.533 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Sunny: Air 26.9 to 27.5 °C (80.4 to 81.5 °F), Track 22.8 to 23.3 °C (73.0 to 73.9 °F) | ||||
| Attendance | 36,000 | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver |
| NextEV NIO | |||
| Time | 1:02.867 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | Sébastien Buemi | e.dams-Renault | |||
| Time | 1:03.102 on lap 40 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Audi Sport ABT | ||||
| Second | Techeetah-Renault | ||||
| Third |
| Virgin-Citroën | |||
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Lap leaders | |||||
Oliver Turvey took pole position after Daniel Abt was penalised for a tyre pressure infringement and held off pressure from José María López to lead the field until he retired from the race with power issues, handing the lead to López. Di Grassi and Jérôme d'Ambrosio made early pit stops to switch into their second cars and di Grassi took the lead on lap 26 when the rest of the field made their stops. D'Ambrosio held off Vergne for second place until lap 43 as di Grassi held the lead for the rest of the race by conserving electrical energy to win. There were three lead changes among four different drivers and three safety car periods during the course of the race.
It was di Grassi's first victory of the season and the fifth of his career. The result reduced Sébastien Buemi's lead over di Grassi in the Drivers' Championship from 29 to five after finishing 14th, but earned one point for setting the race's fastest lap. Nico Prost and Vergne remained in third and fourth places while Bird passed Felix Rosenqvist for fifth. Audi Sport ABT drew to within 31 points of e.Dams-Renault in the Teams' Championship, while Virgin moved from sixth to third with eight races left in the season.