Cape Town – Antonio Felix de Costa will want to build on his third place finish in Hyderabad, as Porsche will look to continue with their early-season dominance.
De Costa finished in third place at the inaugural race in India two weeks ago and will find himself in a similar position in Cape Town as the city hosts it’s first-ever Formula E race today.
The German team are currently top of the drivers and team standings, with Da Costa’s team mate Pascal Wehrlein at the top of the standings after a strong start in season 9 of the sport.
ALSO READ: Five things to know about Formula E and the Cape Town ePrix
De Costa says getting ready for a new track is something they are always prepared for to a certain extent.
“When I first drove the track back in the simulator back home, as we prepare for every race, it was surprising to see how fast the track is, bumpy; at the same time, it’s a huge challenge for everyone, not only for us driving the car, but also how to set up the car and the boundaries we can push that set-up, in which direction and all that.
"At the end of the day it’s the same track for everyone, so no excuses, we just got to the do the best with what we have and what we know, but it’s going to be an exciting one for sure.“
The Portuguese driver has been taking in the sites and the sounds of the Mother City. He hails from a town called Cascais, located in the Portuguese Riviera and known for for it’s tourist attractions and beautiful coastline.
Da Costa says there are many elements of Cape Town that remind him of home.
I’m very excited, it’s my first time here so It’s always cool getting to know a new city. [I] walked around a bit... between here (CBD) and where the race track is, Camps Bay, getting to know some of the places. You know Kelvin (van der Linde) has been super helpful... telling us the places to visit and where to go. I feel a lot of vibes like back home, like Portugal to be honest. Close to the sea, very chilled people and it’s a down-to-earth city, so it’s been cool so far.“
He finished fourth in first practice on Friday, while Kelvin van der Linde has a less than ideal start to the race weekend as he session ended earlier as his car came to a halt.
Maserati's Edoardo Mortara was top in qualifying as Jaguar TCS’s Sam Bird second.
@Alicia Pillay56
Related Topics: