Motor racing - Vergne wins in Chile to lead Formula E championship

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Techeetah's driver Jean-Eric Vergne of France (C) celebrates with Techeetah driver Andre Lotterer of Germany (L) and Renault E. Dams driver Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland after winning the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - French driver Jean-Eric Vergne won the fourth ePrix of the Formula E season in the Chilean capital Santiago on Saturday to take the overall lead in the all-electric series from Sweden's Felix Rosenqvist.

Vergne, starting the South American country's inaugural race on pole position, led a Techeetah one-two with German team mate Andre Lotterer.

Swiss racer Sebastien Buemi finished third for Renault e.dams.

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Techeetah's driver Jean-Eric Vergne of France (L) celebrates with team-mate Andre Lotterer of Germany after winning the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Lotterer's and Vergne's cars made contact with four of the 37 laps to go as the German pushed to seize the lead, fortunately without consequences for either.

"It's racing in the end and I had a lot of pace in the car. He knows exactly how to defend," said Lotterer, a three-times Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar winner and, like Vergne, a former Formula One driver.

The one-two was the Chinese-owned Techeetah team's first in Formula E.

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Techeetah's driver Jean-Eric Vergne (L) of France leads during the start of the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Rosenqvist, bidding for a third race win in a row, was fourth for Mahindra.

Brazil's defending champion Lucas di Grassi again hit problems and retired, failing to score for the fourth race in a row with Audi.

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Techeetah's driver Jean-Eric Vergne of France in action during the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Clare Fallon)

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Luca Di Grassi of Brazil in action during the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Techeetah driver Andre Lotterer of Germany in action during the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Formula E - FIA Formula E Santiago ePrix - Santiago, Chile - February 3, 2018. Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. of Brazil in action during the race. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido