António Félix da Costa parts ways with Porsche ahead of Season 12

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

Portuguese racer António Félix da Costa has officially parted ways with the German manufacturer ahead of the upcoming Formula E campaign. This brings to an end a fractious relationship between team and driver after three seasons in the Gen3 era.

da Costa caps off three seasons at the German outfit | Credit: Alastair Staley/LAT Images

The Season 6 champion made his way from the now-defunct DS Techeetah outfit to Porsche ahead of the Gen3 era in 2023, partnering up with Porsche long-timer Pascal Wehrlein.

While his first season did not yield plenty of rewards, with da Costa only finishing ninth in the ladder with 93 points and three rostrum finishes, it was in 2024 when the Portuguese racer truly discovered a purple patch.

A heartbreaking post-race disqualification snatched away da Costa's race victory in Misano in April 2024. It was soon after when the Porsche man went on a winning spree, winning four of the next seven races, and catapulting himself into championship contention late in the season.

While the title would go to his teammate Wehrlein, da Costa ensured he finished sixth in the order, and played a part in Porsche's points haul in Season 11.

Although both parties penned a deal for Season 12, there were rumblings between Wehrlein and da Costa, including a spar at the start of the season that was never fulfilled. The infamous crash between teammates at the end of FP1 in Berlin further accentuated rumours of a rift between da Costa and Porsche.

da Costa recovered to finish fourth in a rainy Monaco, just shy of the podium | Credit: Ryan Fleming

Even still, the Portuguese racer played a part in helping net the team's maiden constructors' championship, scoring 111 points and finishing fifth in the overall standings, with podiums in São Paulo, Mexico City, Miami and Shanghai the highlights of his campaign in 2025.

“I’m happy that it happened instead of being sad that it ends. I raced for one of the most prestigious brands in the world – that’s an honour for me, and I’m proud that this will forever be a part of my career," the Lisbon native mentioned on his departure from the team.

"I’ve been part of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team for its three most successful years, and I want to thank every single person that I got to work with during this time. This includes the management with Thomas and Florian, as well as the board.

"A special thank you goes out to my mechanics and my engineers, who accompanied me on this road. Obrigado!” he concluded.

Porsche team principal Florian Modlinger spoke praises of da Costa's potential, wishing him the best for his Formula E future, and remarking on his three seasons with the team.

“In three very intense years with us, António proved his class – with five victories in the Porsche 99X Electric. He impressed everyone in the team above all with racecraft, how he could read the race and work his way forward.

"I thank António for his achievements, but also for his direct and transparent approach, as well as the appreciation he showed to every single person in the team.

"My thanks also go to his mechanics and engineers; they worked extremely hard to help him regain his qualifying strength. Only then were we able to become Teams’ and Manufacturers’ World Champions in July. We wish António all the best.”

The Porsche Formula E seat has turned into one of intense speculation, with plenty of candidates being thrown into the rumour mill for a seat at the home of the reigning champions. da Costa's exit will only build on these talks, and form the fulcrum of Formula E's renowned silly season.

As for da Costa, several rumours placed him at Jaguar alongside Mitch Evans for the upcoming campaign, although nothing has been made official yet by either party.