Despite believing he had the faster car during the 2020 Santiago E-Prix, DS Techeetah's Antonio Felix da Costa lost speed in the final moments of the race, which saw him loose out toBMW i Andretti Motorsport's Maximilian Guenther who clinched his first victory in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Speaking after the race, Da Costa reveals what went wrong.
After qualifying in tenth position, the odds were stacked against DS Techeetah's Antonio Felix da Costa for the win in Santiago's Parque O'Higgins. Admitting his DS Techeetah car had great pace, the Portuguese driver made his way through the pack over the course of the race, to place himself in the fight for the win. With just minutes until the chequered flag, the Portuguese driver forcefully overtook Guenther, which saw him close in on what looked to be his third Formula E victory. But the battle was far from over.
With minutes until the end of the race, Da Costa's battery temperature became a concern, causing the DS driver to lift through the final few turns.
"I think they were giving me incomplete or slightly wrong information, because they told me that the temperatures were OK, although I said 'I don't think so'," said Da Costa.
"And yet, the moment I took the lead, they told me: 'OK, you have to slow down.' It all came down to the last lap, but these guys [BMW] handled it better," admitted the Portuguese driver.
Settling for second place, the former BMW driver handed the win to the man who took his seat as Guenther headed for the flag, clinching his first victory in his Formula E career. Less than a year ago, the German driver found himself without a seat after he was dropped by the Geox Dragon squad but returned to the series ahead of the 2019/20 season as a front runner with the BMW factory team. What a difference a year makes, hey?