“What I Like Is Not Sustainability; What I Like Is Solving Problems,” says Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi
Almost a decade since its inception, Formula E stands as a beacon of sustainability in sport. Formula E is a single-seater racing championship for electric cars with a net-zero carbon footprint. In 2014, the first race, or E-Prix, took to the streets of Beijing. On the grounds of Olympic Park, the inaugural race winner was crowned—Lucas di Grassi. The Brazilian has since won a Formula E World Championship and has taken on ambassadorial roles, promoting sustainable mobility initiatives such as the eSkootr Championship and the Dubai Electric Scooter Cup. As the sun sets on COP28 in Dubai, new deals have been struck, heralding the beginning of the end of fossil fuels. The emphasis on moving to and improving electric mobility has never been greater.
At the Supercool Mobility Center in Dubai, di Grassi emphasised this move as “planning for long-term.”
“We have a problem now that’s solvable with technology, with innovation…so it’s because we have this knowledge and the tools, it’s morally and probably ethically not correct not to do anything about it.”
According to Ember, an independent energy think tank, countries in the Middle East are powered almost exclusively on fossil fuels. However, the UAE’s energy goals are to expand clean energy to 44% by 2050. Di Grassi said, “The Middle East is also very well positioned to use the energy transition in their favour.”
He remains pragmatic, predicting a “phase-out or reduction," acknowledging the necessity of fossil fuels in certain sectors like aviation. “It’s almost impossible to produce fully sustainable or synthetic aviation fuel in the short period of time for all the flights, so we still need fossil fuels to travel around,” said di Grassi. However, he highlights lower-hanging fruits like transitioning cars to electric, an efficient HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) system, optimising photovoltaic panels for cheaper electricity, and utilising excess energy for water desalination and agriculture.
As the UNEP Clean Air ambassador, he underlines that for impoverished communities in Africa and India, burning natural gas for cooking would be “the best thing for air pollution... so they don’t have to burn plastic, wood and dung to cook in their homes at night. Half of the premature death because of air pollution is because of this.”
Di Grassi is a co-founder of Zero Summit, an annual event held in his home country of Brazil, bringing together experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs to shed light on innovative technologies aiming for a carbon-free future. “There’s no one silver bullet. It’s very beautiful for somebody in COP28, going to a stage, and saying now there’s no more oil in the world, but if this happens, billions of people starve to death.”
He admires the long-term planning ethos in the region, contrasting it with the challenges of rapid political changes in democratic systems. “In our democratic economies, it’s very hard to put 20–30 projects on the line because they’re changing government all the time.”
Speaking about Formula E’s role in sustainability, he stresses the technology transfer potential into the mass market. “The beauty of sustainability for motorsport does not come from them reducing their output. That’s also needed, but the technology they develop will go into the mass market,” with the new Gen3 cars combining high performance, efficiency and sustainability.
Reflecting on the continued endeavours within Formula E, a switch back to his old team, ABT Cupra, di Grassi’s anticipation for more consistent outcomes reflects his realistic outlook. “We still have the same powertrain as last year because ABT Cupra and Mahindra use the same powertrain this year so will not be a massive step forward, but I love working with those guys. We had 10 victories together…It already feels much better to be there.”
Lucas di Grassi’s drive for sustainability transcends a mere love for the concept itself—it's about unravelling challenges and crafting solutions. “What I like is not sustainability; what I like is solving problems.”
As Formula E begins its tenth season and COP28 attempts to shape global policies, di Grassi’s insights echo the pressing need for collaborative, pragmatic, and technology-driven solutions. The journey towards a sustainable future demands a fusion of innovation, practicality, and long-term vision—a unified ethos shared by these influential events.
