Born in São Paulo, di Grassi began karting at the age of ten, achieving success in regional and national series. He progressed to car racing in 2002, finishing as runner-up in both the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil and Formula 3 Sudamericana championships. In 2004, di Grassi moved to the United Kingdom and competed in the British Formula Three Championship with Hitech Racing, securing two victories at Thruxton. He then progressed to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005, winning a race at Oschersleben and the non-championship Macau Grand Prix.
Di Grassi spent three years in the GP2 Series, winning four races and finishing as runner-up in 2007 to Timo Glock. He entered Formula One with Virgin Racing in 2010, but was dropped after one season. He then became Pirelli’s official tyre tester in mid-2011, developing the company’s next generation of tyres and continuing this role into 2012.
For the following four seasons, di Grassi drove for Audi Sport Team Joest in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He achieved a best finish of second overall in 2016, with two victories. Since 2014, di Grassi has competed in Formula E, scoring thirteen victories and claiming the 2016–17 Drivers' Championship. He later co-founded and became Sustainability Ambassador of the ESkootr Championship in July 2020, which launched in May 2022.
Di Grassi’s early life saw him introduced to motorsport through his uncle, who owned a go-kart shop, which he visited between the ages of seven and eight. He is of Italian descent through his grandfather, who came from Polignano a Mare. He was educated at Santa Cruz High School and later graduated with a degree in Economics from the private business university Ibmec after his second year of study. He married Bianca Diniz Caloi in Itirapina, São Paulo, on 1 December 2013, and became a father to Leonardo on 3 July 2018.
Di Grassi founded the fuel conservation non-governmental organisation Smarter Driving in 2007 and was appointed the United Nations Environment Programme's clean air ambassador in 2018. He also maintains his fitness by participating in triathlons and is a member of the high-IQ society Mensa. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, and has a basic knowledge of French.
In 2010, di Grassi drove for Virgin Racing in Formula One, but struggled with reliability issues. He retired from the opening two races due to hydraulic problems and continued to face challenges throughout the season, ultimately finishing 24th in the Drivers' Championship without scoring any points. He won the Desafio Internacional das Estrelas karting event in December 2010 but was dropped by Virgin Racing two days later.
Following his Formula One stint, di Grassi returned to sports car racing and Formula E. He secured a contract with Audi in late 2012 and achieved his first outright victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship at the 2016 Spa-Francorchamps round. He continued with Audi until 2019, achieving multiple podium finishes and contributing to the team's success.
In Formula E, di Grassi won the inaugural race in Beijing in 2014 and continued to be a frontrunner, winning the 2016–17 championship after a close battle with Sébastien Buemi. He later moved to Venturi Racing in 2022, and then Mahindra Racing in 2023, before rejoining ABT for the 2024 season. He secured a podium finish at the 2024 Miami ePrix, and continues to compete in the series as of 2025.
Di Grassi is regarded as a technically gifted driver, with a shrewd understanding of dealing with the press. He has criticised the design of the Halo cockpit protection device and track limits, and has expressed a desire to become more actively involved in the future of motorsport, even suggesting a potential run for the presidency of the FIA.
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