Last weekend, Da Costa clinched his first win of the season in Formula E’s debut at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. The Portuguese driver’s victory, secured by overtaking Oliver Rowland of Nissan three laps from the finish, marked his first triumph since the Cape Town E-Prix in the previous season. The race was characterized by its chaos, featuring 19 lead changes over 28 laps, adding to the excitement of the event.
However, Da Costa’s celebration was short-lived as he was later disqualified from the race due to an ineligible throttle damper setting found on his car during scrutineering. This setting, related to a spring in the throttle damper, had been previously used on the Gen2 machines but was no longer permitted for the Gen3 car, as outlined in the “GEN3 Spark Catalogue” introduced for the 2022-23 season.
Porsche, Da Costa’s team, acknowledged that the spring had been in use since the Gen3 era began, as only additions to the catalog were highlighted, not removals. In response to the disqualification, Porsche promptly filed an intent to appeal, giving them a 96-hour window to decide whether to proceed with the appeal.
Just before the deadline, Porsche confirmed their decision to appeal the stewards’ decision regarding the Misano E-Prix disqualification. This move signaled their determination to contest the ruling and potentially overturn the outcome of the race.
Prior to his victory on the track, Da Costa had faced challenges in the 2024 season, failing to score points in the initial three races before finally securing points in Sao Paulo and Tokyo. Amidst discussions about his future with the Porsche team, which intensified after Abt’s Nico Muller tested with Porsche as a potential replacement, Da Costa remained focused and resilient.
Despite the setback of disqualification and subsequent classification of 17th in the following Misano E-Prix, where he pitted for a new front wing due to damage, Da Costa maintained a positive outlook. He expressed disappointment at the blow to his championship standings but emphasized the enduring satisfaction of achieving victory on the track, reinforcing his determination to persevere in the face of adversity.
