Mexico City Formula E: Di Grassi wins wild race to take points lead

D'Ambrosio led Nicolas Prost away at the start and while he remained in control through the first half of the race, he was never more than a second clear of the Renault Z.E.15.

With di Grassi tucked underneath Prost's rear wing and Buemi and di Grassi's Abt Audi Sport team-mate Daniel Abt - having swapped places on lap four - close behind, the five-car fight for the lead always threatened to turn fiery.

Di Grassi ended the procession by nailing Prost for second on the final lap before the car swaps, catching the Frenchman out into the Turn 4 chicane.

In the pitlane, Buemi jumped team-mate Prost and soon after the race turned.

Di Grassi's decisiveness continued after the stops as, first lap out of the pits, he exited the final corner right behind d'Ambrosio and used his Fanboost to beat the Dragon Racing driver on the run to Turn 1.

As he edged clear, Buemi recognised the need to attack and tried to replicate di Grassi's move, only to get blocked by d'Ambrosio.

After a couple of laps' rest Buemi tried again into Turn 4 but was rebuffed, then a lap later launched another failed bid at the final chicane.

Both previous moves involved a small amount of contact but moments later the two collided in a bigger way, Buemi ramming the defending d'Ambrosio square in the rear at Turn 1 after a late move from the inside to the outside by the aggressor.

With 14 laps remaining the battle was far from over, and half a dozen laps later he launched an offensive round the outside at Turn 1 - only to run out of room and cut the chicane.

That gained him the place, but the Swiss driver recognised the need to hand it back - but as he slowed down to do so, Prost attacked d'Ambrosio and Abt and Loic Duval joined in as well.

The quintet was a jumble as it rounded Turn 13 before Buemi slowed again and d'Ambrosio cut the final chicane, keeping ahead of his surprise challengers and then regaining second from Buemi on the run to Turn 1.

All this handed di Grassi a lead of 10 seconds and while Buemi remained close behind d'Ambrosio for the remaining seven laps and got a great run out of the final corner for the last time, he was forced to settle for second.

Duval claimed fourth in the second VM200-FE-01-powered Dragon entry after a quiet drive, aided by Prost receiving a harsh drive-through penalty for an unsafe release and Abt crashing on the penultimate lap.

Such was the pace advantage of the Abt, Renault and Dragon cars, Prost still finished fifth, with Robin Frijns nicking sixth in the season-one specification Andretti entry.

Buenos Aires winner Sam Bird could do no better than seventh on this occasion, ahead of the recovering Abt, while Nick Heidfeld and Stephane Sarrazin completed the points finishers.

UPDATED RESULTS - 43 LAPS:

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: