Antonio Felix da Costa Triumphs in Jeddah for First Jaguar TCS Racing Victory
Portuguese driver Antonio Felix da Costa has broken his winless streak with a commanding performance at the Jeddah E-Prix, securing his first victory for his new team, Jaguar TCS Racing. This win marks a significant milestone in da Costa's career, as he transitions from Porsche to Jaguar for Formula E Season 12.
Emotional Victory and Bathtub Celebration
After crossing the finish line, da Costa was visibly elated, describing the win as a moment of arrival after the challenges of switching teams. In a post-race statement, the 34-year-old expressed, "This one feels good! Changing teams is a massive workload and there are a lot of things to learn, plus new faces and names. I'm happy to get this done by race five."
The celebration took a unique turn as da Costa headed to the bathtub to relax, holding his trophy aloft. He shared this intimate moment on his Instagram Stories, captioning it with a message of triumph: "All right guys, this is always a good sign. That's my win number 13 here in Formula E, unlucky for some. My first Dak Attack with Jaguar TCS Racing. It's only our fifth race together but we got one of these already, more to come. Let's go!"
Strategic Mastery in Round 5
Da Costa and Jaguar TCS Racing executed a flawless race strategy to clinch victory in Round 5 of the 2026 Jeddah E-Prix. Key elements of their success included:
- Da Costa was the first among the lead group to activate both of his mandatory 350kW, all-wheel-drive Attack Modes.
- He built a substantial gap during the second round of activations, which he maintained until the finish line.
- The win was secured with a comfortable margin of 2.5 seconds over his closest competitor.
This victory not only ends da Costa's personal drought since the Portland E-Prix in 2024 but also contributes to Jaguar TCS Racing's impressive record of six wins in the last nine races.
Post-Race Reflections and Standings Impact
Reflecting on the race, da Costa highlighted the tense moments, noting, "I knew when I had a little bit of a gap and Attack Mode over my rivals that only a big drama could really take this away from us. But you know in racing, it's never over until it's over." He described managing alarms on his dashboard, with his team advising him to push through the stress.
The podium was completed by Sebastien Buemi in second place and reigning champion Oliver Rowland in third. With this win, da Costa now moves up to seventh position in the Formula E Drivers' Standings, tied with Andretti's Jake Dennis at 39 points.
This achievement underscores da Costa's resilience and adaptability, proving that his move to Jaguar TCS Racing is yielding positive results early in the season.
