Bird soars to win Rome ePrix thriller!

©FormulaE

DS Virgin's Sam Bird fended off a late charge from Lucas di Grassi to take his second Formula E win of the 2017/2018 season in the action-packed Roma ePrix.

Mahindra Racing's poleman Felix Rosenqvist took command of the 33-lap event at the start and held his own until lap 23 when a clouted kerb and a broken suspension permanently sidelined the Swede and put Bird in the lead.

The British driver held a small advantage over Jaguar's Mitch Evans, with the fast-moving di Grassijoining the duo up front.

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With just four laps to go, Evans attempted a gritty move up Bird's inside, but the latter would have none of it.

The Jaguar drivers' lost momentum enabled Audi's di Grassi and Techeetah's André Lotterer to catch up and eventually get the measure of Evans, weakened by a rapidly decreasing battery level.

Behind the Bird, di Grassi, Lottere, front-running trio, Audi's Daniel Abt captured fourth, with Jean-Eric Vergne, Seabastien Buemi, Jerome d'Ambrosio, mario Engel, Evans and Edoardo Mortara rounding off the top-ten.

Bird second win after his Hong Kong victory slots the DS Virgin driver into second position in the championship, 18 points adrift from series leader Vergne with five laps to go.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.