It is the kick-off of Season 10 of Formula E, the fourth since this championship of electric single-seaters has the status of World Championship from the International Automobile Federation (FIA). On the starting grids for the 16 races on the calendar, there are 11 teams and 22 drivers. António Félix da Costa is only 32 years old, but he is among the most experienced in the category – in the 116 ePrix races held since the start of the competition on September 13, 2014, on a city circuit in the Olympic Park in Beijing, China, he has participated in 112. In the Portuguese’s curriculum, there are eight victories, 19 podiums, eight pole positions, and the title in Season 6 (2020).
The 2024 World Championship starts in Mexico City, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, where António Félix da Costa has never won, but has two podium finishes – second in 2019 and 2020, with BMW and DS, respectively. In 2023, in his debut for Porsche, he finished in seventh position and ended the championship in ninth. This Saturday, at the ePrix on the 2.628 km track with 19 corners in the capital of the North American country – 35 laps, without any Safety Car interventions that require adding kilometers to the race, as determined by the sporting regulations… – “ambition never changes, I always want to win and ideally, I want to achieve it already in Mexico”, said the driver of the 9XX Electric with number 13 in an interview.
Félix da Costa approaches the start of the season with expectation. “The championship, I say it convincingly, is even more competitive! All the teams have improved during the winter, especially those that were outside the Top 5 last year, like DS or Maserati. At Porsche, we also worked hard. Personally, I feel better than at the beginning of 2023, in my debut for the team”, explained the driver from Cascais, who puts Envision and Andretti on the same level as Jaguar and Porsche, in the top favorites. Envision has the power unit from Jaguar, Andretti has the one from Porsche, which supports this opinion.
“As there are also many changes in drivers, between entries and exits, and team swaps, the uncertainty, this year, is even greater, but the secret to success remains the same: consistency, scoring as many points as possible in each race”, said António, who recorded one victory, three podiums, and two retirements in the 16 ePrix races of 2023, finishing the championship in ninth position with 93 points scored, against the 229 of the champion, British driver Jake Dennis, from Andretti. “Easily, I can name seven or eight drivers in the fight for the title, which does not happen in other categories of motorsport. That’s the beauty of Formula E”, he emphasized.
Formula 1 without refueling, Formula E with (re)charging
In Season 9, the debut of the third generation of the electric single-seater, which this year only completes its second season, explains the absence of changes in both the sporting and technical regulations. Nevertheless, a very important novelty is announced, with the adoption of the Attack Charge, pit stops during the ePrix races for ultra-fast battery recharging!
The idea, perhaps inspired by the refueling that existed in Formula 1 from 1994 to 2009, is to add more excitement to the emotions of Formula E. And Félix da Costa is in favor of the adoption of this format: “Initially, the system will be tested only in practice sessions, but the plan is to introduce it on weekends with two races starting from Misano, in round 7 of the World Championship. We have successfully communicated the potential of the electric car, and we have to eliminate all concerns related to this operation, demonstrating that the technology, which is evolving incredibly and very rapidly, is increasingly capable. We will use almost insane powers, above 600 kW”, he exclaimed, emphasizing the relevance of transmitting this message to fans who are still considering buying their first car without an internal combustion engine.
This year, in the championship, after the cancellation of the race scheduled for India in February, there are 16 ePrix races, following the same format as in 2023, but with only 10 circuits. Thus, in six cities, there will be two races and two winners per weekend. Félix da Costa is not a fan of this formula: “For the fans, it doesn’t make sense. One race doesn’t influence the other and, therefore, communication seems complicated to me. As a driver, this concentration has advantages, as it greatly reduces the number of trips”, he explained.
“Angry” and “frustrated” driver with Porsche’s “no” to WEC
In Season 9, at Porsche, as a weak point, were the qualifications, which forced both Félix da Costa and his teammate Pascal Wehrlein, the German driver with whom he has a good relationship, to make sensational recoveries to finish the ePrix races among the top positions. Apparently, the problems have been resolved. If confirmed, it will be a clear path to more podiums and victories: “During the winter, 95% of our focus was on developing the capacity of the 9XX Electric in one lap. I think we did everything right and we are even more competitive, but the truth is that we didn’t bring much of what we prepared for Mexico, because it is a very special race, due to the altitude and the permanent circuit surface, not a city circuit”, he lamented.
Finally, António Félix da Costa also addressed his non-participation in the World Endurance Championship, after five consecutive seasons in the championship, with the victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the title in the LMP2 category in 2022 as the most memorable moments: “I’m not lying! Porsche’s decision made me angry at first and frustrated afterwards, but I have to respect it! I believe it is possible to compete in Le Mans, in a Hypercar or an LMP2, and I plan to return to the WEC in 2025”, he concluded.
The essential part of the program is concentrated on Saturday, with qualifying at 15:40 and the race starting at 20:03 in mainland Portugal.
