Da Costa: 'It's always been my dream to race for Porsche'

Join Formula E

Sign in or create your Formula E account

It's quick, easy and free to sign up

You'll get access to:

  • Helmet

    News. Analysis. Exclusive Features

  • Schedule

    Priority Booking. Early Bird Pricing

  • Trophy

    Competitions. Discounts. Experiences

  • Podium

    Predict. Vote. Win.

TO CONTINUE READING...

You will need to sign in or create a Formula E account.

Da Costa: 'It's always been my dream to race for Porsche'

A weight was lifted at German giants TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team following its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory in Mexico City last season, they'll be looking to make that the trend and not the exception in Gen3.

Porsche Valencia

Pascal Wehrlein led home a dominant Porsche one-two from Julius Baer Pole Position at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from then-teammate Andre Lotterer, with the team inflicting an extra lap on the field with just a couple of seconds remaining on the clock. Porsche's perfectly calculated strategy yielded double silverware and both Wehrlein and the outfit's breakthrough in electric motorsport. 

Wehrlein has a new teammate in Season 6 champion Antonio Felix da Costa for the start of the Gen3 era. The Portuguese is a favourite of the Mexican support, and he makes the move from DS ahead of Season 9. Da Costa has competed in Formula E since the inaugural 2014/15 campaign and strode to the Drivers' title in Season 6, with the Portuguese dominating the unique six-race nine-day Berlin finale. The 30-year-old has 96 race starts, seven wins, 16 podiums and eight Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name. 

WATCH: Don't miss a minute of Season 9

Since that title win its been a pair of eighth-placed finishes in the Drivers' standings for da Costa - with just a win in each of Season 7 and 8. He'll be hoping for more this season, though 20th in testing is not the best start. He's living the dream at his new team, though, and if anyone has the tools at their disposal to nail a seismic regs change, it's Porsche.

“It has always been my dream to race for Porsche," said da Costa. "I enjoy the anticipation in the lead-up to the season and I’m super excited. There can only be one goal with this brand - to win races. I’m feeling relaxed about my premiere with Porsche in Mexico. What matters is how we finish the season, not how we start it. I’m happy with my new car. I think we’ll definitely be competitive with it.”

“That will just happen naturally. I’ve been with Formula E since the very first race. I’ll lay all of my experience on the table and let the team decide what to do with it. We have a great team of engineers and every chance to work our way to the top. It all depends on how we use those opportunities. My goal as a driver is clear - I want to win races and the championship. I can’t say where we stand at the moment, but that’s our goal.”

READ MORE: The full Season 9 and Mexico City preview

“We have a great relationship," says Wehrlein on his new teammate. "We’ve known each other for ages because we raced against each other in Formula 3 and the DTM. I’m thrilled to have him as my teammate. It’s great working with him. He is the most experienced driver in Formula E. Together, we will make every effort to advance the team.

Wehrlein Porsche

Wehrlein feels the team's new 99X Electric Gen3 is showing signs of promise, but like every team at the moment, there's a lot to learn.

“I’m really looking forward to racing again and being able to pit ourselves against the other teams," adds the 28-year-old. "Our new car has a lot of potential. We’re still at the very beginning. We faced a lot of challenges at the Valencia tests because a lot of the Gen3 car is new, such as its second powertrain. Plus, we have a new tyre manufacturer. But at the same time, this gives us a lot of opportunities to improve. I expect we’ll make great headway as the season progresses.”

Doubling up
​​​​​

A total of four Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 will line up on the grid in the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Two of the Weissach-developed electric racers are fielded by the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team factory squad, with the remaining two campaigned by Avalanche Andretti, who is determined to fight for victories and titles as Porsche’s first customer team. The permanent drivers of the US outfit founded by the motor racing icon Michael Andretti are Jake Dennis and Andre Lotterer.

This extra data should, in theory, help Porsche accelerate the development of its new car. Team boss Florian Modlinger says hitting the ground running in Mexico will yield an advantage for whoever manages to nail it.

READ MORE: Porsche joins forces with Avalanche Andretti

“The preparation coming out of season 8 was very labour intensive," says Modlinger. "We had very little time to get familiar with our new car and refine it on the racetrack. At the end of the day, we’re satisfied with the development and we’re feeling well-prepared for Mexico. We won’t know where we stand in terms of performance until after the qualifying session. The better start you get to the season, the greater the chance of gaining positive momentum and riding the emotional wave that propels you to more successes.”

“With the one-two result last year, the team underlined what it’s capable of. We need to show more consistency with our performance in the future. We’re heading to Mexico feeling confident and optimistic. We are determined to win again this season and fight to the very end for the world championship title.”