António Felix da Costa aka "Formiga" (the ant) - F1 hopeful?
#1
Posted 01 October 2012 - 11:04
Time for his thread, no? Getting a bit of genuine hype now after 2 great weekends in the World Series by Renault, particularly this one in the rain in Paul Ricard. Also had a title challenge in GP3 even if that didn't come right.
Having been signed mid-season to Red Bull was a huge breakthrough as he's now next in line when a Toro Rosso F1 opening comes available. I remember 5 years ago when we (Portugal) had 2 drivers going up in the feeder series: Alvaro Parente and Filipe Albuquerque. Parente had the results and the talent, winning both the Brit F3 and WSR titles. Albuquerque seemed slightly less talented (altho had been Euro FR2.0 champion) but was part of Red Bull's lineup. Felix da Costa is the fusion of both: very quick like Parente and now with the right connections like Albuquerque. I also get the impression he's stronger mentally than both of them - Parente eventually got his fair shot in GP2 but squandered it.
I'm hoping that in 1 or 2 years time he'll finally become the next Portuguese driver after his own manager Tiago Monteiro. Needs to keep delivering though as Red Bull won't tolerate any shortcomings in results! I also rate both Vergne and Ricciardo and think both are cancelling each other's chance to look good, Red Bull may be ruthless but aren't stupid to throw them away without giving them a serious assessment. So António will have to keep looking special to get that F1 seat.
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#2
Posted 01 October 2012 - 11:27
That said, his current performance and learning curve has somewhat impressed me. What series will he participate in 2013? 3,5 or GP2? I see no point staying at GP3 level any longer.
Edited by Man of the race, 01 October 2012 - 11:43.
#3
Posted 01 October 2012 - 13:18
Also, he is driving for Red Bull at Abu Dhabi!!
#4
Posted 01 October 2012 - 13:19
He has been impressive this year, i agree. Not so sure about his GP3 results though - a third place after two years and some races there in 2009 seems a bit underwhelming. Will definitely be interesting to watch what he can do next season.
#5
Posted 01 October 2012 - 13:31
#6
Posted 01 October 2012 - 14:00
I think he has to be the favourite for the FR3.5 title next year. As for GP3...a couple of early mistakes cost him dearly but his speed was never the problem. If I was an F1 team principal and I had to pick one of the title contenders for a drive next year then I'd go for him any day. However, he is the eldest of the 4 - he's 3 years older than Evans, who won the title, and I'm not sure that he was as good as Evans is now when he was 18. He was also the most experienced at that level (and probably outside it too). So who knows.
Maybe GP3 wasn't quite for him, Yelloly was completely anonymous in those cars too.
As for next year - no chance that it will be GP2, Red Bull haven't ran anyone in that for years and I don't see them starting again now.
#7
Posted 01 October 2012 - 14:05
As for Red Bull being poisonous, well they are, but it's much much better than no connections, which was what he had. I'm sure a driver like Buemi will be bitter he was tossed away quickly, but how would he have made it to F1 at all without them?
#8
Posted 01 October 2012 - 14:08
#9
Posted 01 October 2012 - 14:37
#10
Posted 01 October 2012 - 15:50
#11
Posted 01 October 2012 - 15:56
I believe he's already done YDT's for Force India? Seems like he's finding his feet in single seaters and could be a bigger prospect for the future than initially thought..
Yes he did. And with his best time, how would have qualified 10th for the race on that weekend (although the track had more rubber).
edit: forget what I said. I remember something about this at the time, but I checked it and I was full o.s. That would be 15th (1:41.381) ahead of Liuzzi (1:41.642)
YDT: http://www.formula1....0/11/11547.html
Qualifying: http://www.formula1..../2010/841/6806/
Edited by JRodrigues, 01 October 2012 - 16:05.
#12
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:03
#13
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:18
His level of commitment right now is very big. Actually he is now living in Milton Keynes!
He also wants to win Macau. Last year he was on pole position, when the first gear broke at the start.
Edited by Junky, 01 October 2012 - 16:19.
#14
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:39
#15
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:46
but Sainz is behind da Costa on the 'development curve'. it will be something like this:It's very dificult for a portuguese to get to F1. He must be very very talented to make it even to Toro Rosso. I mean Valteri Botas/Ricciardo talented like at least. Red Bull has more candidates to those places, one of witch is Carlos Sainz jr much more marketable than a simple ant. I find it almost impossible. Lets hope I'm wrong.
2013: da Costa full time WSR, expectation is winning the title, or at least being a close 2nd, Sainz jr staying in british F3 for another year to win it, maybe gets a half time promotion to WSR if he's looking good enough in F3.
2014: the better of the current STR duo gets the 2nd seat in RB (yeah, I still hope Vettel is not going anywhere close to ferrari), da Costa gets the 2nd STR seat, Sainz jr full time WSR driver.
2015 (?) : if the one of the Vergne-Ricciardo pair that satyed in STR is beaten by da Costa, they'll probably drop him in favour of Sainz jr, if he did really well in WSR.
Edited by Zava, 01 October 2012 - 16:47.
#16
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:57
Met the lad on the way out of Monza on the Friday, wished him luck for the weekend and he duly said "thanks, thank you very much!" but i don't think his luck could of been much worse! Seemed like a genuine bloke and really rooting for him now.
#17
Posted 01 October 2012 - 16:57
Sometimes, the driver behind gets at the same time to F1 like Vergne/Ricciardo.but Sainz is behind da Costa on the 'development curve'. it will be something like this:
2013: da Costa full time WSR, expectation is winning the title, or at least being a close 2nd, Sainz jr staying in british F3 for another year to win it, maybe gets a half time promotion to WSR if he's looking good enough in F3.
2014: the better of the current STR duo gets the 2nd seat in RB (yeah, I still hope Vettel is not going anywhere close to ferrari), da Costa gets the 2nd STR seat, Sainz jr full time WSR driver.
2015 (?) : if the one of the Vergne-Ricciardo pair that satyed in STR is beaten by da Costa, they'll probably drop him in favour of Sainz jr, if he did really well in WSR.
#18
Posted 01 October 2012 - 17:03
but that was because Ricciardo didn't get promoted right after his championship runner up year, also Vergne won f3 unlike Sainz jr, who will need 2 more years to be at the top in the RB junior steps, unless he gets promoted to WSR for next year.Sometimes, the driver behind gets at the same time to F1 like Vergne/Ricciardo.
(also, Ricciardo did half of 2011 in the HRT, better than nothing.;))
#19
Posted 01 October 2012 - 17:10
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#20
Posted 01 October 2012 - 17:35
I've been watching FDC for awhile now, and I'm hugely impressed. In young drivers its not always most important to look at results, but to look at how they progress over a weekend, how they learn, do they make the same mistakes repeatedly? How do they recover from problems? How do they handle fluctuating media attention? For fdc the answers to all of those are pretty positive. He's prett consistent in building over a session let alone the weekend - and that's something that is important in f1, a rhythm. He also has a lot of straight talent - very impressed with his ability to pull out a big lap when it's needed. See a lot of SV in him, hope to see him at STR in 2014.
Sure hope you'r right.
#21
Posted 01 October 2012 - 19:56
#22
Posted 02 October 2012 - 00:55
#23
Posted 02 October 2012 - 16:05
Yes, I concur, and we can all agree he's the driver of the moment(um). I've heard repeatedly that the wsr 3.5 was leaps and bounds over the gp2 field and the guy being a rookie (with almost half a season deficit in a team that was under performing) has got to be proud of what he's achieved this year so far.
#24
Posted 02 October 2012 - 16:15
#25
Posted 02 October 2012 - 16:24
Yes, I concur, and we can all agree he's the driver of the moment(um). I've heard repeatedly that the wsr 3.5 was leaps and bounds over the gp2 field and the guy being a rookie (with almost half a season deficit in a team that was under performing) has got to be proud of what he's achieved this year so far.
Oh I don't know anything about the guy, it's hard to follow anything lower than GP2 in The States. I just thought it was a funny and articulate reply.
#26
Posted 02 October 2012 - 18:36
#27
Posted 02 October 2012 - 18:51
Amazing how underrated Bird and Bianchi suddenly are now that they're in WSR
Bianchi's already had two GP2 seasons under his belt. Sam Bird has a similar amount of experience (except he hasn't won any major open wheel championships). For da Costa to be challenging them immediately with a lot less time at this level is impressive.
Edited by Prost1997T, 02 October 2012 - 18:51.
#28
Posted 02 October 2012 - 19:52
Articulate maybe. Funny? I don't know, he kinda lost me on the 5th paragraph there...Oh I don't know anything about the guy, it's hard to follow anything lower than GP2 in The States. I just thought it was a funny and articulate reply.
#29
Posted 02 October 2012 - 20:50
Bianchi's already had two GP2 seasons under his belt. Sam Bird has a similar amount of experience (except he hasn't won any major open wheel championships). For da Costa to be challenging them immediately with a lot less time at this level is impressive.
Likewise Frijns.
#30
Posted 02 October 2012 - 21:48
Likewise Frijns.
Yeah, I was going to say that, but then he goes and loses a ton of ground to Bianchi at Paul Ricard oh well, he'll bounce back.
#31
Posted 04 October 2012 - 21:18
#32
Posted 05 October 2012 - 10:33
Antonio is doing a roadshow with Red Bull in Korea at the Jamsu bridge. He will drive the RB7. The event will take place Saturday 6th October.
Expect him to turn up at HRT in 2013 in a similar deal to that which took Ricciardo there in 2011.
#33
Posted 05 October 2012 - 15:38
Expect him to turn up at HRT in 2013 in a similar deal to that which took Ricciardo there in 2011.
That would be awesome. No way it's gonna happen. He's not even wining WSR.
#34
Posted 05 October 2012 - 16:09
That would be awesome. No way it's gonna happen. He's not even wining WSR.
Have you been watching WSR this season?
#35
Posted 05 October 2012 - 18:53
Have you been watching WSR this season?
Erm... no.
#36
Posted 05 October 2012 - 19:07
Erm... no.
Well Ant joined mid season (whilst still running in GP3) and has won 2 races, been on the podium in another 2 and scored over double the points of his more experienced team mate Rossi with 3 less weekends. He looks pretty good at the moment, i think a full season next year means he has to be a title favourite.
#37
Posted 05 October 2012 - 20:21
#38
Posted 05 October 2012 - 21:07
Wow . Thats impressive then . Hoje he gets there . Will he be in the final Abu dhabi test?Well Ant joined mid season (whilst still running in GP3) and has won 2 races, been on the podium in another 2 and scored over double the points of his more experienced team mate Rossi with 3 less weekends. He looks pretty good at the moment, i think a full season next year means he has to be a title favourite.
#39
Posted 06 October 2012 - 02:05
Wow . Thats impressive then . Hoje he gets there . Will he be in the final Abu dhabi test?
He will be driving for Red Bull at the Abu Dhabi test. Meanwhile, here are some pics from Korea this weekend
#41
Posted 06 October 2012 - 18:13
#42
Posted 07 October 2012 - 08:11
#43
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:10
#44
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:11
#45
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:14
If Ricciardo or Vergne have bad performances in the last four races, I wouldn't be surprised if Toro Rosso give Da Costa a call for 2013. Looks like the making of a future world champion.
#46
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:14
The pressure will be really high now for next season though. Assuming he continues on WSR which is what I expect.
#47
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:14
would be a bad call i believe....this year has been amazing for da costa....but he need to show continuity...another year in Fr3.5 or GP2 debut are the best options...If Ricciardo or Vergne have bad performances in the last four races, I wouldn't be surprised if Toro Rosso give Da Costa a call for 2013. Looks like the making of a future world champion.
#48
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:17
I'm not kidding, so no need for the smiley. Red Bull have been known to make rash decisions (remember Alguersuari in mid 2009?). I wouldn't say it is an impossible move.
Agreed completely with this though.would be a bad call i believe....this year has been amazing for da costa....but he need to show continuity...another year in Fr3.5 or GP2 debut are the best options...
#49
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:17
Maybe they will do like they did with Vergne. He only had FP1 in Korea when the 3.5 championship was overTricky one for Da Costa and Red Bull now, i hope sense prevails and they don't give him FP1 time during the WSR season next year and let him focus on that, give him loads of KMs in the young driver tests but i hope they don't throw him in too early. Big talent though.
#50
Posted 21 October 2012 - 14:28
I'm not kidding, so no need for the smiley. Red Bull have been known to make rash decisions (remember Alguersuari in mid 2009?). I wouldn't say it is an impossible move.
The smiley was for the fact that you judge a driver like this on a mere "okay" achievement.
He just lead the race to the win, didn't do any magic Turkish Hamilton delight...
And yes, his season was fine, but not subliminal.
Edited by Ravenak, 21 October 2012 - 14:29.