Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Unpredictability is a key aspect that makes Formula E a thrilling sport, and Porsche's Antonio Felix Da Costa has experienced a season truly befitting of the series. After being stripped of victory at Misano, the Portuguese racer has won four of the last five races, catapulting himself into championship contention as Formula E heads into London for a final showdown.
2024 has been nothing sort of a rollercoaster for Da Costa, both on the track and off the track, with his Porsche seat even being at stake ever since ABT Cupra driver Nico Muller tested for the team in a private test back in April.
His April was mired in a spiral of doom, victory snatched from his hands hours after the 2020 Formula E champion crossed the line at Misano to take his first win of the season, and the first time he stood atop a podium since Cape Town in season nine.
Losing a victory in such a manner can sting deep, and the scars of the Misano controversy are still visible when the Portuguese driver speaks. As he said to DIVEBOMB and other select media in an interview:
"I can confidently say that we are not cheaters. The offending part (throttle damper spring) was not in the catalogue (of mentioned parts for the season). Another seven to eight cars were not checked on the day for the same part," Da Costa said, revealing the nature of the investigation.
Porsche then exercised the right to appeal the disqualification, taking the matter to the International Court of Appeal in June, with a decision taken ahead of the Portland E Prix double header at the end of June.
Much to Da Costa's agony, his disqualification from the Misano E Prix was upheld by the stewards. Da Costa expressed his displeasure on the decision. "We went to court, and it (the appeal) was unsuccessful," the 32-year old said.
"It's not just the 25 points we would have gained," expresses Da Costa, had his decision been the other way around, and his Misano victory reinstated. "Others (other drivers) would have lost points, so we would have made even more gains than the usual 25 points for victory," he spoke.
Da Costa's statement stands strong, as victory went to Nissan's Oliver Rowland on the day, the Nissan driver directly behind in the championship standings in fifth.
Second-placed Mitch Evans too benefitted, gaining an additional two points to put him ever closer to his teammate Nick Cassidy in the standings, a narrow gap of 12 points separating the top three as the championship heads into the final run at London.
Andretti racer Jake Dennis, who was in championship contention at the time, was elevated to second in the race, gaining an additional three points as a result of Da Costa's exclusion from the race results.
The reigning champion still remains in mathematical contention, though, as the championship heads into the ExCel Arena in England's capital, and if there's anything learnt from season ten, never rule out the impossible from happening.
In a season of eight different race winners, Da Costa has been the most prolific of them all, his tally of four wins in 2024 outshining the rest of the grid, the next best being Cassidy, Evans, and teammate Wehrlein with two wins each.
Coincidentally, the quartet lock out the top four in the championship standings, with the championship battles evenly poised heading into the final weekend of Formula E for season ten.
While Jaguar and Nick Cassidy have been a class apart in season ten, the latter hungry to bounce back from the heartbreak in season nine, Portland was a defining weekend for the championship, with Cassidy's smooth ride now suddenly appearing rockier.
If you could paint a picture of the championship contender's weekends in the states, Cassidy and Da Costa would find themselves at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Their bipolar weekends added to the drama of a Formula E championship.
While Da Costa benefitted from the Kiwi duo's troubles in the first race at Portland, his second race would be a smoother drive, the Porsche driver head and shoulders clear of the rest as he held off a chasing Robin Frijns for a hat-trick of victories, the second time he has achieved such a feat in the series.
Coming off a perfect score at Portland, Da Costa answered a question posed by DIVEBOMB on the expectations ahead of London, stating he is in a 'luxurious' position thanks to his recent form.
"We are in a luxurious position, having won so many races," the Porsche driver remarks. "There are some close contenders in the championship," he says, referring to the likes of Cassidy, Wehrlein, and Evans ahead, while Rowland and Jean-Eric Vergne sit only a handful of points behind.
Another championship that has morphed into a close fight is for the constructors' title, as Jaguar only hold a 33 point lead heading into their home event, as Porsche took a significant haul of points stateside to eat into a 73-point gap before the double header.
It's evident the two teams are the ones to beat this year, having shared all of the victories on the tarmac since April, including Da Costa at Misano before the events unfolded later in the day.
The Portuguese driver's tally of four wins have come at Berlin, Shanghai, and Portland, three venues known for providing the peloton style of races, where drivers are often concentrated in a pack, and avoid staying in the lead for long, instead dropping back to save energy for later in the race.
"It's not about being the quickest, it's about who manages energy the best," Da Costa said, when asked about the key to excelling at such high speed circuits.
"We (Porsche) have quite an efficient car" he remarks, referring to the Porsche powertrain at the rear of his car, compared to the likes of Jaguar or Nissan or anyone else supplying powertrains on the grid.
An efficient power unit and smart driving are vital to excelling around road courses or in fast, peloton-style races, as has been displayed by the likes of Cassidy and Rowland in the past, who have come from way further back in the field to claim spots on the podium.
However, the ExCel Arena in London is a vastly different course to tackle for the drivers, a rare narrow street course after a series of wide, permanent road courses playing host to the series over the past few months.
As the championships have closed up ahead of the final weekend, expect rivalries to heat up and the atmosphere to reach boiling point, akin to last year's events when Cassidy's championship charge was crippled after contact with his teammate saw him retire from race one, granting Jake Dennis an easy run to the title at his home event.
As for Da Costa, a championship victory would be the perfect reply to his critics, and prove to Porsche what they would be missing out on if they part ways ahead of season eleven. And even if the Portuguese driver leaves the German team after season ten, he will be a key figure in the driver market, with plenty of teams eyeing up his services for the upcoming season.
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