António Félix da Costa is hoping to make the perfect start to the 10th season of Formula E, with the Portuguese driver targeting victory at this weekend’s season-opening Mexico City E-Prix.
Da Costa heads into the 2024 season with a full year working with the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team behind him, putting him in a significantly better position ahead of Mexico City. The Season 6 Champion hasn’t hidden the fact that settling into the Stuttgart-based side was a challenge, considering that he also had to get used to the Gen3 machinery.
Whilst every driver had to understand the new Formula E machinery, Da Costa had the added challenge of working with a new group of people. However, 12 months on from finishing seventh on his debut for Porsche, he is more than ready to pursue a title challenge.
The 32-year-old struggled to perform consistently last season, mostly due to the German manufacturer’s one-lap struggles, which often left Da Costa with too much ground to make up. This has been worked on over the off-season, with pace over a single-lap having seemingly been discovered.
Da Costa set the second-quickest time during last October’s pre-season test in Valencia, filling him with confidence and belief that the side’s Gen3 package has “improved”. Add to this the fact he now knows the “car and the team much better”. 2024 has all the ingredients to be a great year for the experienced driver.
He recognises that kicking-off Season 10 with a win this weekend in Mexico City “would be ideal”, although he is fully aware that the all-electric series is “getting tougher every year”.
“The competition in Formula E is getting tougher every year,” said Da Costa.
“I’ve been involved since the beginning and can imagine what awaits us this season. But we’ve also improved. I know the car and the team much better than I did in my first season with Porsche. I can’t wait to turn this experience into strong results. The calendar for season 10 is fantastic.
“I’m really looking forward to the races in Monaco and Tokyo, which are absolute highlights. São Paulo will certainly be another very special race. But first, it’s off to Mexico. Opening the season with a win would be ideal. That’s what we’re working towards.”
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