"I am happy that it happened": Antonio Felix da Costa leaves Porsche after 3 Formula E seasons

It had been rumoured that Antonio Felix da Costa would be leaving Porsche's Formula E works team and the sports car brand's works driver squad after three seasons. Porsche made the announcement in a press release on Friday morning. However, the Portuguese driver is likely to remain in Formula E: He is considered a hot candidate for the vacant seat at Jaguar after Nick Cassidy left the team for Citroen.

Felix da Costa contested 48 races for Porsche in the electric series, five of which he won: After the 2023 Cape Town E-Prix, he was victorious the following year in Berlin, Shanghai and twice in Portland. He also finished on the podium six more times for Porsche. The Portuguese driver scored a total of 338 points for the team, with fifth place in the World Championship last season being his best overall finish.

As a result, he also played a key role in Porsche winning the World Championship title for teams and manufacturers. These were not the first title wins for Felix da Costa in Formula E, where he has been competing since Season 1: in the 2019-20 season, which was characterised by the pandemic, he won the drivers' championship, while DS Techeetah also won the teams' title with him and his then team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne.

"I'm proud that this will forever be a part of my career"

"I'm happy that it happened instead of being sad that it ends," explains Felix da Costa. "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."

"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," Felix da Costa continued. "A special thank you goes out to my mechanics and my engineers, who accompanied me on this road. Obrigado!"

Modlinger: "He impressed everyone"

"In three very intense years with us, Antonio proved his class – with five victories in the Porsche 99X Electric," describes Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E at Porsche. "He impressed everyone in the team above all with his racecraft, how he could read the race and work his way forward."

"I thank Antonio 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," he adds. "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 Antonio all the best."

Laudenbach: "Thanks to him, Porsche has reached the pinnacle of electric motorsport"

"After the title wins in London in July, Porsche has reached the pinnacle of electric motorsport – and that is very much thanks to Antonio's performances," says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. "He played a decisive role in enabling us to reach that achievement. Moments like his overtaking manoeuvre in Cape Town and our first home victory in Berlin will remain in our memories and are part of Porsche's history in Formula E. We’re proud of all of this, and I'd like to thank him for it. I also greatly appreciated his consistently positive and relaxed manner. I hope to meet Antonio again soon in paddocks around the world and wish him all the best for his future."

After two seasons with Aguri and three seasons each with the teams of Andretti, Techeetah and Porsche, the Portuguese driver will in all likelihood join the fifth team in the electric series next season - a record he shares with former team-mate Vergne. We expect clarity about Felix da Costa's future and the second cockpit at Porsche by the beginning of October at the latest.