In the ultimate sign of defiance, António Félix da Costa of TAG Heuer Porsche clinched victory at the Misano E-Prix Round 6, marking the Formula E series’ inaugural visit to the renowned circuit. Da Costa’s triumph not only secured a memorable win for Porsche but also contributed to six different winners across the first six rounds of Season 10 – a streak not achieved since Season 5.
Starting from the 13th position on the grid, da Costa executed a flawless race strategy, timing his surge precisely to overtake the competition with three laps remaining. Despite fierce challenges from his rivals, including a formidable performance by Oliver Rowland, da Costa maintained his lead to cross the finish line victoriously. Reigning champion, Jake Dennis, showcased remarkable resilience by climbing from a starting position of 17th to secure a podium finish.
The race witnessed intense competition from the outset, with da Costa navigating through a tightly packed field of contenders, all vying for position within seconds of each other. Managing energy consumption emerged as a critical factor on the challenging Misano circuit, where drivers and engineers grappled with optimising efficiency amidst intense racing conditions.
The dynamic nature of the race became evident early on, with multiple lead changes and dramatic manoeuvres testing the drivers’ skills and endurance. Despite challenges posed by the circuit’s layout and competitive field, da Costa’s determination and strategic acumen propelled him to a well-deserved victory, marking a significant achievement for himself following recent rumours of division at the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.
When asked about this, da Costa said:
“There’s ups and downs in life and nobody’s perfect. And we’ve got to be a team when times are bad. So, I think today will be good for that. You know, I’m here for the long haul. And hopefully this is the first of the season and the first of many.”
The Misano E-Prix showcased the thrilling unpredictability of Formula E, with a record-breaking nine different race leaders and an unprecedented number of competitive overtakes. As the championship continues to unfold, the battle for supremacy tightens, with every race offering new plot twists in the quest for the World Championship title.
With the conclusion of Round 6, António Félix da Costa’s triumph elevates him and the Porsche team into contention for the championship title, setting the stage for an exhilarating remainder of the season. As the series prepares for Round 7 in Misano tomorrow, April 14th, anticipation mounts for another thrilling chapter in the Formula E narrative.
Further down the grid, Maximillian Günther showcased his prowess as one of the most consistent drivers on the grid so far this season, securing a commendable 4th place for Maserati MSG Racing following his win in Tokyo. Following closely behind, Dan Ticktum of ERT Formula E Team delivered a personal best result for the 5th spot, meanwhile, Mitch Evans of Jaguar TCS Racing, who had initially clinched pole position finished in 6th place. Jean-Éric Vergne of DS Penske crossed the line 7th, and rounding out the top ten was Andretti Formula E’s Norman Nato, DS Penske’s Stoffel Vandoorne and Nissan Formula E Team’s Sacha Fenestraz.
António Félix da Costa, No. 13, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said:
“That was crazy. But I had a lot of fun. It’s more about being smart, being aware where everybody is at all times, we were four or five side by side, people coming from every direction. I got hit a few times, but luckily nothing too big for my car. I was really struggling to turn to the right. But we held on, I think the strategy in terms of energy was perfect. We went at the right time. That was a proper dark attack.”
Oliver Rowland, No. 22, NISSAN Formula E Team, said:
“I think we had a mega start to the year with three podiums. We knew coming here was going to be a little bit trickier on a high efficiency track. But I’m pleasantly surprised; the car was mega. The energy management was good. And we’ve had one of the best places. So really, really confident and really happy.
“I had to adapt because obviously I wanted to save quite a lot of energy. And then people got quite hungry in the beginning. So I was probably down to 12th, I think, I decided to come back towards the front and sit around fifth or sixth and then when I got the information that the energy was good then I decided to go into the top three and I think me Jake and Antonio worked well blocking the track as a bit of a three, which was quite tactical. For me, coming second was a good result today.”
Jake Dennis, No. 1, Andretti Formula E Team, said:
“We’ve always had a really efficient powertrain: P1 and P3 for Porsche is a special day for us. From my side, I was confident going into the race, even though it’s been a real struggle for me this weekend. The boys gave me a good car, and with good strategy and awareness, Oliver and I could work together, both making the podium. Overall, very happy to score big on a day like today when you’re not feeling good in the car. I didn’t plan to play it that way, but as the race got faster, I had to adapt and use attack mode, especially with a couple of issues in the last two laps, consolidating my position.”
Updates:
Misano E-Prix race winner António Félix da Costa of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, has been disqualified from Round 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for a technical breach following FIA investigation. Oliver Rowland of Nissan Formula E Team who crossed the line in second will inherit the win to make it his first victory since Season 6.
The full decision by the FIA is as follows:
“The Team Manager and the representative of the manufacturer explained that since the beginning of Season 9, they have not changed the Throttle Damper Spring.
“The Team Manager accepted that the sealed part, as shown in the attachment of the Technical Report 13 was mounted in Car 13 and was sealed in the presence of the Chief Mechanic of the team. The Team Manager stated also that on the Spark list (pedals) the sealed part is not listed.
“He explained that normally, changes of the Spark catalogue are highlighted so everybody can see the changes, but not removals.
“The FIA Technical Delegate confirmed this procedure. The representatives of Spark confirmed that this part was listed on the part list of the GEN2 cars, but not on the current GEN3 car. They also confirmed that the removal of parts from that catalogue are not highlighted nor cancelled.
“The competitor is responsible for the conformity of the car and even if there is no performance advantage the car has to comply with the Regulations (Article 1.3.3 of the International Sporting Code).
“Due to this result the car has to be disqualified from the race and the next cars move up in the classification.”
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team have declared their intention to appeal, they have 96 hours to confirm.
With a da Costa disqualification, Oliver Rowland inherits the top spot, marking both the British driver and the team’s first win in Formula E since the Berlin E-Prix in 2020.
As drivers move up the final race standings, this also promotes Maximillian Günther to the final podium position.
