Building on that idea, the former GP2 racer now admitted that part of the reason why he failed to climb the steps to Formula One as quickly as some of his past rivals in the GP2 Series was the lack of a strong surname. Translated into F1 words, he wasn't the relative of any past F1 champion, which would have made it very easy to debut in F1 at any time.
“I have always been competing with drivers with strong last names. It was always difficult to find sponsors,” Di Grassi was quoted as saying to Brazil's Globo.
During his GP2 days, Di Grassi went against drivers like Nelsinho Piquet or Bruno Senna, yet he only managed to debut in F1 after them. While one can argue that Senna will also make his first appearance in F1 next year – same season with Di Grassi – the fact of the matter is that he started his racing career much later than the Virgin Racing driver. However, in only a few years, he found his way into the Great Circle.
As far as Piquet Jr. goes, one needs no more argument, as the Brazilian driver scored a single podium finish for Renault F1 during his one year and a half stint in the series. However, during that time, he failed to impress anyone with his racing skills, and the way he parted ways with the world of the Great Circle is to remain in history as one of the ugliest scandals in motor racing.
25-year old Di Grassi signed a one-year commitment with Virgin Racing, where he will partner German racer Timo Glock. During the past few years, he has been test and reserve driver for Renault F1 Team.
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