New cameras triggered di Grassi pitstop investigation
Reigning Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi was the first driver investigated over a possible pitstop infringement due to the presence of new cameras during the inaugural Rome ePrix.










It was announced towards the end of Saturday's race, won by DS Virgin Racing's Sam Bird, that Audi driver di Grassi was under investigation for a possible problem during his mid-race car swap.
One of the FIA-mandated cameras that were installed above each FE driver's second car for the first time at the Rome event had detected a potential issue.
This was to do with the placement of di Grassi's belts and his mechanics hands as he climbed into his second machine, which the stewards asked the driver and his team to explain.
The video was re-examined and Audi gave a demonstration of its procedure, which cleared both team and driver of any infraction.
"They wanted a clarification on our pitstop procedure," di Grassi, who finished second behind Bird, told Motorsport.com.
"Before going there I knew it was 100 percent legal because we had so much trouble this year – including my underwear – that we had to make sure that everything is legal.
"They asked me to go there and did some questions and in the end it was very clear that it was [OK]. They have a camera on each car for the pitstop and the question came because of the video.
"They were asking stuff: 'why the hand is there? Why are you doing this?' I answered, we came here – we did it again – they looked and said 'that's perfect, it's legal'. So, no problem.
"Of course you try to be as quick as possible [and] try to come up with clever solutions. But [it is] 100 percent legal."
Video explainer: Mahindra powertrain...
Di Grassi, who scored his second runner-up finish in two races in Rome, called for greater use of technology to enforce rules in FE after raising the issue of consistent application of instructions and stewarding decisions.
"I know that is difficult for the guys, but that's what we need more and more here – clear [and] stable rules," he said.
"Everybody wants stable rules that we can operate and in true openness, I think the more we make these rules less subjective to human interpretation the better.
"For example, it's technologically feasible to have a sensor in the car [and if] we cross the white line it beeps.
"Also, to put the wheel [over the line] when you do the corner [of the Rome pitlane], it's not allowed. You cannot go into the working area, [but] some drivers did in the pitstops and nothing happened.
"This type of stuff – I know there is a lot of things happening [during races] – but if we make this stuff more with electronic sensors we can actually have a clear direction and decrease the workload from the stewards and from the race directors. There is a lot to be done on this."

Rome ePrix: Bird resists di Grassi in thrilling finish
Rosenqvist mystified over failure that ruined “perfect day”

Latest news
Bird out for Seoul Formula E finale, Nato to cover at Jaguar
Jaguar reserve Norman Nato will deputise for Sam Bird at the Seoul Formula E double-header, as the Briton is unable to complete in the season finale with a broken hand.
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there.
Vandoorne "can't take it easy" in Seoul despite 36-point FE lead
Stoffel Vandoorne can't "turn up and take it easy" at Formula E's Seoul finale, despite his 36-point cushion over second-placed Mitch Evans in the drivers' standings.
How Formula E's title contenders were upstaged in London
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale.
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there.
How Formula E's title contenders were upstaged in London
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale.
The ex-F1 racer turned team boss adapting to a FE title fight
For the second year in a row, the Venturi team is in the thick of the fight for Formula E title glory with Edoardo Mortara. That's despite a change to a more meritocratic qualifying system, which was expected to give the works Mercedes team an edge, and ex-Formula 1 racer Jerome d'Ambrosio being new in the team principal hot seat. As he tells Motorsport.com, it's a challenge he's revelling in
Why Sims is quitting Formula E to become the master of his own destiny
Alexander Sims’ call to give up a pukka Formula E spot after four seasons in the series may have surprised some, but after laying out his reasoning and what he hopes comes next, very few onlookers can argue against his plan.
How FE's Big Apple crunch led to Cassidy joy and heartache
Nick Cassidy hadn't enjoyed too many joyful moments in the 2021-22 Formula E campaign, but the Envision Virgin driver was the class of the field in New York - even after a sudden downpour had caused him and several others to shunt heavily out of the first race. Red flags saved his bacon on that occasion, but a 30-place penalty that cost him pole for race two due to a new battery opened the door for Antonio Felix da Costa
Mortara turns up the heat on FE title rivals in Marrakesh scorcher
Formula E’s unplanned return to Marrakesh provided teams with a fresh challenge in old but familiar surroundings, as Edoardo Mortara kept his cool in melting conditions to triumph and retake the championship lead
How Formula E's double-duty drivers got on at Le Mans
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How Evans kept cool in Jakarta heat to renew his Formula E title push
Jean-Eric Vergne had comfortably taken a landmark pole for Formula E's first visit to Indonesia and looked set to win his first race of a highly consistent campaign. But the DS Techeetah driver couldn't answer a late attack from Jaguar's Mitch Evans, who profited from the Frenchman's change in battery management tactics to seize a third win of the campaign