BMW i Andretti Motorsport, the BMW iFE.18 and BMW works driver António Félix da Costa (POR) celebrated a perfect start to the season in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
The entire team was naturally delighted that the first race provided a rich reward for the months and years of intensive development work.
In this interview, Felix da Costa recalled the unpridictability experience he had before the race, challenges he encountered using the new “ATTACK MODE” and “FANBOOST and how it feels triuphing at the end…
Excerpts
Now you have slept on your victory in Ad Diriyah, how does it feel?
António Félix da Costa: To be honest, it still feels unreal. When I joined the Andretti team in Season 3, I always intended to reach this point, however the last two years have seen plenty of difficult races and tricky moments. I have been accompanied during these tough times by many team members who were there to experience our win this time. That is just a great story and I am unbelievably delighted about how it went.
How has the increased BMW influence affected the progress of the team?
Félix da Costa: The opportunities and the know-how provided by BMW have taken the project in a completely new direction. I visited Munich regularly during the preparation phase for the new season and I have seen how the series developers go about their work. The BMW i drivetrain that they have developed for us is simply fantastic. Nonetheless, before the first race starts it is impossible to know where you stand compared to the competition. We saw that we didn’t have the fastest car in the field in Ad Diriyah. That motivates everyone to work that bit harder. But we still managed to win the race, because we made no errors as a team. That is why I have a very good feeling about the rest of the season.
How do you rate the new “ATTACK MODE” and the “FANBOOST”?
Félix da Costa: From a strategic point of view, the ‘ATTACK MODE’ is a big challenge, as it is very difficult to decide when and how to use it correctly in the race. It makes the race less predictable, which is more exciting for the fans. I am delighted that I received the ‘FANBOOST’ for the first time in my Formula E career.
That shows that I get plenty of support, not just from Portuguese fans but also from BMW fans all over the world and Andretti fans in North America. That is really cool. I think both of these boost ideas are great for the fans.