As soon as the eighth season of Formula E ended, the teams that make up the category began to make important announcements to plan in advance their foray into the long-awaited third generation (Gen3) of the electric single-seater series.
Porsche was the first squad that hours after crossing the finish line in Seoul made a move in its driver lineup, with the inclusion of Antonio Félix da Costa in its staff for 2023.
The 30-year-old Portuguese will be an official racer for the German marque and will join forces with Pascal Wehrlein in the ninth season of the FIA Formula E ABB World Championship.
Da Costa will contest his first race for the Stuttgart-based team on January 14, 2023 at the Mexico City E-Prix, where the new Gen3 single-seaters will make their brand-new debut.
A Veteran
The Lusitano has been involved in Formula E since its beginnings in 2014, and so far, he has contested 96 races in this discipline, in which he has achieved seven victories, 16 podiums and eight pole positions. He also took home the championship title in the 2019-2020 season.
“It’s like a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to keep going and winning races for this team,” da Costa said. “I’ve been beaten by a Porsche many times in my career, and not just in Formula E. I know this brand does everything it can to win, it’s in its DNA. I share the same ambition and I’m looking forward to linking up with the team to ensure a successful start to the Gen3 era.”
For his part, Porsche Motorsport Vice President Thomas Laudenbach expressed his pleasure to have the services of the distinguished driver. “He has great skills and has proven himself to be a winning driver repeatedly, not only in Formula E.”
“We hold him in high regard on his own merits both on and off the track. He has a positive attitude that fits perfectly with us and the entire Porsche Motorsport family. I am confident that we will be fighting for victory together in the coming years,” he added.
Season Review
The eighth Formula E season had many ups and downs for Porsche. The Weissach-based team achieved its greatest success on February 12, 2022 with a historic double at the Mexico City E-Prix.
At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Pascal Wehrlein took pole position with the Porsche 99X Electric and subsequently the team’s first victory in the event. André Lotterer finished second, completing a 1-2 finish for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer in the third race of this year’s Formula E series.
In the E-Prix of Rome, Lotterer had victory within reach. With less than 12 minutes to go, he took the lead and held the lead for a long time. Unfortunately, the departure of the safety car hurt him and he lost several places.
As the season progressed, Lotterer and Wehrlein showed great performance, especially in qualifying, but could not always maintain it in the race.
In the drivers’ standings Wehrlein finished tenth after 16 races with 71 points. Lotterer, meanwhile, was twelfth with 63 points. In the team standings, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E secured seventh place with 134 points.
