Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

30/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 30/06/2024 14:53

António Félix da Costa wins for the second time in a row

António Félix da Costa wins for the second time in a row

30/06/2024

António Félix da Costa is the hero of the hour in Formula E; off the back of winning Porsche's home race in Berlin and again recently in Shanghai, he has followed up with another top finish in the first race of the Portland double-header.

Race 13

On Saturday, he drove his Porsche 99X Electric to victory, notching up the sixth win of the season for the innovative electric racing car developed in Weissach.

Thanks to this triumph at the Portland International Raceway, Porsche defends its lead in the manufacturers' trophy. This is the tenth E-Prix win for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. Despite sustaining damage, Pascal Wehrlein's tenth place added one point to the team result and thus retained second in the world championship. For the Andretti Formula E customer team, defending World Champion Jake Dennis finished sixth, with Norman Nato taking the flag in 13th.

Post-by-post coverage of the race can be found on the X channel @PorscheFormulaE.

António Félix da Costa

Comments on the Portland E-Prix, race 13

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: "As expected, it was a slipstream battle. I'm super proud of the team and the R&D crew back in Weissach. Thanks to António's victory, we've demonstrated that our Porsche 99X Electric is the benchmark. Our car has won six times in the 13 races so far this season and has crossed the finish line first seven times - more often than any other racing car. That's something to be proud of. António's race was fantastic. He implemented our strategy perfectly and was always in the right place at the right time. Pascal experienced a very difficult race. Early on, a part from a rival's car got stuck under his and he almost had to come into the pits. At least he earned a point in the drivers' championship. With three races still to go, anything is possible. Tomorrow we'll make sure we're at the front with both cars."

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): "What a crazy day! Our third win in the last four races - an incredible streak. That was a chaotic race, but we handled it brilliantly. Our strategy worked perfectly. We had a bit of luck at the end, but we were in the right place when it mattered. We deserved this win."

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): "That was such a disappointing race. We were looking pretty good initially, but then there was a collision in front of me and some debris got caught under my car. After that, the performance was simply not there. I had less power, and the brakes were no longer working as they should. I tried to bring the car across the line as best I could. This race feels like a missed opportunity."

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - standings after 13 of 16 races

Drivers' classification
1. Nick Cassidy (NZL), 167 points
2. Pascal Wehrlein (GER), 143 points
5. Jake Dennis (GBR), 121 points
7. António Félix da Costa (POR), 109 points
13. Norman Nato (FRA), 40 points

Teams' classification
1. Jaguar TCS Racing, 307 points
2. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 252 points
4. Andretti Formula E, 161 points

Manufacturers' Trophy
1. Porsche, 370 points
2. Jaguar, 354 points
3. Nissan, 242 points

The official points' standings can be found on the Formula E website.

Next up

The next outing for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Andretti Formula E is Race 14 of the Portland E-Prix on 30 June. The race gets underway at 14:04 hrs local time (23:04 hrs CEST).

Preview

The Portland International Raceway is a permanent racetrack, like Shanghai, where António Félix da Costa notched up the fifth win of the season with the Porsche 99X Electric. No other vehicle has achieved more victories. Driving for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, the Portuguese works driver and winner of Porsche's home race in Berlin has fond memories of Portland: at the Formula E debut there last year, he claimed the third step on the podium.

Da Costa's team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, the winner in Mexico and Misano, travels to Portland as second in the World Championship. Porsche currently leads the manufacturers' classification and is determined to extend its top ranking with strong team performances. Andretti Formula E has made a significant contribution to Porsche's success streak: so far this season, the customer team has won in Diriyah thanks to defending World Champion Jake Dennis and netted a total of four podium finishes, the most recent with Norman Nato in Shanghai. Portland represents the home race for the American racing team based in Indianapolis.

Jake Dennis

At races 13 and 14 in Portland, drivers and teams get the chance to score double points and secure a strong position for the season finale in London (races 15 and 16 on 20 and 21 July).

Comments ahead of the Portland E-Prix

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: "We got the chance to take a breather before Portland - the team needed this break because the weeks before were very exhausting. Our victories in Berlin and Shanghai lent us a tailwind heading into our preparations. Our successes and strong team performance, especially in the most recent races, give the team even more motivation as we enter the final stretch of the championship. Before we travel to the season finale on the London street circuit, we'll once again compete on the permanent racetrack in Portland. We're expecting two gripping and fiercely competitive races - like at Misano and Shanghai, where we underlined that we could win such races."

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): "Even though Portland isn't a typical Formula E racetrack, it's great to go racing in North America. Drawing on last year's experience in Portland, we should be able to find an ideal set-up for this track. We're now heading into the sharp end of the season. We need to focus on scoring as many points as possible."

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): "I really enjoy racing in the USA. I like that sport is held in such high regard there. Last year I had one of my best weekends in Portland with a podium finish in front of brilliant fans. This season we're much further ahead than we were then. I hope we can take the momentum from Berlin and Shanghai with us to Portland and continue our winning streak."

Florian Modlinger
Pascal Wehrlein
António Félix da Costa

Live TV and Internet coverage

The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E events is available at https://fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch. Races 13 and 14 in Portland both get underway on 29 and 30 June at 14:04 hrs local time (23:04 hrs CEST). The qualifying kicks off on both days at 9:40 hrs local time (18:40 hrs CEST).

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - standings after 12 of 16 races

Drivers' classification
1. Nick Cassidy (NZL), 167 points
2. Pascal Wehrlein (GER), 142 points
4. Jake Dennis (GBR), 113 points
7. António Félix da Costa (POR), 84 points
11. Norman Nato (FRA), 40 points

Teams' classification
1. Jaguar TCS Racing, 299 points
2. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 226 points
5. Andretti Formula E, 153 points

Manufacturers' Trophy
1. Porsche, 337 points
2. Jaguar, 328 points
3. Nissan, 236 points

The official points' standings can be found on the Formula E website.

Porsche in Formula E

Porsche contests its fifth Formula E season in 2023/2024. In addition to the works-run TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, the American customer outfit Andretti Formula E competes with the Porsche 99X Electric. The concept of the innovative electric racing car was developed at the net CO₂-neutral Weissach facility. With its commitment to the world championship, Porsche underlines its commitment to take a leading role among traditional automobile manufacturers in the areas of electrification, sustainability and technology. In Formula E, the brand gains valuable insights for its electric series-production sports cars.