Lucas di Grassi believes Lewis Hamilton would be crazy to race on ovals after the seven-time Formula 1 world champion admitted he would like to try out an IndyCar one day.
Hamilton is set to sign a new Mercedes contract that will see him stay in F1 beyond 2023, but has left the door open to test or race in other motorsport categories.
Meanwhile, Di Grassi is nearing the end of his career and plans to retire once he feels his time in Formula E is done.
Asked exclusively by Total-Motorsprot.com about his thoughts on Hamilton‘s comments and whether he would like to try NASCAR or IndyCar himself, Di Grassi answered: “Not at all. IndyCar, I don’t like the ovals. I have two kids, I have seen too many accidents.
“If you don’t have kids, maybe you could risk it. I think Hamilton would be crazy to do ovals or IndyCar to be honest. Why would you? What do you have to prove? I will never do it.
“If I was younger [maybe]. I actually tried to go to IndyCar after my Formula 2 days and I would have gone and I would have done it there. But nowadays I have zero interest.
“NASCAR, again, if I had a good option or offer, like Hamilton probably had, I would maybe do it for a year to see how it is because it’s something completely different, like rallying.
“Maybe, when I stop Formula E, I want to do Monster Car or a rally once just to see what that’s like.
“But to do more of the same, I don’t have any interest because Formula E is at a level, that anything else I do would be worse. So why bother? Let’s just focus on something that will create a bigger change.”
Di Grassi planning to be around for a few more years
Di Grassi has had a prolific motorsport career, having competed in F1 in 2010 for Virgin, raced for Audi in the World Endurance Championship and Brazilian Stock Cars.
The 38-year-old is the only Formula E driver to enter every E-Prix since the series began in 2014 and is the Season 3 champion.
Since finishing on the podium in the season-opening Mexico City E-Prix at the start of this year, he and Mahindra have struggled with pure pace and efficiency.
Di Grassi says he will soon begin to think what he wants to do after full-time racing as he plans for retirement as a driver.
“I’m going to race in Formula E a few more years and then stop,” explained Di Grassi. “I don’t plan to go to endurance anymore.
“I think I rode the golden age with those LMP1 cars with 1000 horsepower and unlimited budget, it was crazy.
“F1 is obviously not an option, so maybe I’ll do a few races as a hobby here and there in Brazil but I don’t want to do a full championship.
“I’m probably going to start the next stage of my career, fully focused on what I need to achieve – whether that’s owning a team, being in an organisation, whatever I do, I want to focus on improving myself 100 percent.
“Once I stop, I stop. I’ve been doing this for a very, very long time. So, a few more years, few more victories and I’m more than happy to make a change.”
