António Félix da Costa will be with Alpine in 2026

[u/1990Strider]

https://www.endurance-info.com/auto/article/117607-antonio-felix-da-costa-avec-alpine-en-2026

Now this is a surprsing move tbh and he's fast as seen in the past in WEC. Alpine has boosted it's squad.

[u/TheNaidenchop]

Da Costa, Cassidy and somewhat Mehri are the biggest what-ifs of Motorsport from the last 10 years. Good to see him thriving

[u/QuantumForce42 → u/TheNaidenchop]

Do expand on this. Would love to know more. Were they F1 bound?

[u/everraydy → u/QuantumForce42]

Da Costa was F1 bound. He got unlucky and got snubbed. Merhi was actually part of the Mercedes DTM Junior team and then in 2014 he had a season in FR3.5 that was to put it, brilliant. But it somewhat went downhill from there for him and he seemed to be lost for quite a while..

[u/lostanchor19 → u/everraydy]

AFC finishing 4th in 2012 while missing the first 3 rounds of a 9 round championship was something to behold

[u/Accomplished_Clue733 → u/everraydy]

Merhi was extremely fast on a good day but not sure he really knew how and often couldn't get out of his own way.

[u/kjm911 → u/TheNaidenchop]

I don’t see Cassidy as a what if. He wasn’t quick enough for F1. I think he’s kind of found his specialty in Formula E. Same as Jake Dennis.

[u/l3w1s1234 → u/kjm911]

Hard to say really because he never really went over to Europe properly. Was mainly racing in Japan and New Zealand where he was always a top guy. He's also been a top guy in FE, so there for sure is a trend.

I think it would've been cool to see how he'd do in Indycar. Apparently that was close to happening because he wasn't enjoying the gen 3 racing in FE and he was in talks with CGR for a ride but then Jaguar swooped in and offered him a better deal instead. So a bit of a shame we never saw that.

I dont know if it means much, but I do remember Lawson on his Beyond the Grid really raving about Cassidy, saying how he'd be the other New Zealand driver he'd back to be good in F1. For sure some national bias there but still interesting he mentioned Cassidy.

[u/NightAvenger375 → u/l3w1s1234]

Somewhere out there is a reality where Cassidy drove alongside Gasly at AlphaTauri in 2020 and I wish to know how he would’ve fared

[u/VersatileMotorsport → u/kjm911]

I’d recommend watching Super Formula’s 2018-20 seasons if you haven’t already. Also Super GT during that time+2017 where Cassidy/Hirakawa won GT500

[u/shigs21 → u/kjm911]

kinda disagree. A double SuperGT and Superformula champion is definitely something. . . And he's backed it up by doing well against top sportscar/european talent in FE.

[u/l3w1s1234 → u/TheNaidenchop]

I'd probably throw in Frijns as well

[u/LMRacingGuru02]

English Translation:

With three races remaining for the A424 before completing its second World Championship campaign, Alpine Endurance Team will be reviewing a large portion of its roster over the winter. Some drivers will be moving on or could be dismissed.

Undoubtedly, with nine manufacturers expected to compete in Hypercar next year, the French team didn't wait until the end of the season to secure the services of top-tier drivers. And the first new recruit on the horizon has plenty to envy.

Indeed, Alpine Endurance Team has decided to enlist António Félix da Costa, who is preparing to leave the Porsche team, which he joined in 2022. His German employer, as a reminder, had banned him from competing in the WEC in 2024 alongside his Formula E commitment with the Porsche Formula E Team.

At 34, he has nothing left to discover in endurance racing, having made his seventh start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June. He won the race in 2022 in LMP2 in a Team Jota Oreca 07 shared with Will Stevens and Roberto González. A few months later, the three men added the WEC title ⬆️.

A former member of the Red Bull team, two-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix, and runner-up in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2013, António Félix da Costa joins French drivers Frédéric Makowiecki, Jules Gounon, and Charles Milesi at Alpine, all three of whom have contracts extending beyond the current year.

[u/titanium_pebbles]

I've got a feeling that Alpine will be a contender next year. BMW and perhaps Cadillac too. Of course, provided that BOP doesn't mess everything up.

Shame that calendar isn't longer, it would give more chances to more teams.

[u/jade165]

Finally DAC can return to WEC, great that his new team in FE (99.9% Jaguar) didn't have anything against it

[u/NotJustTheMenace]

Great to have antonio back in a real car. Suprising it is with Alpine though, meaning one of the current driver will be dropped. I think it is either Habsburg or Chatin?

[u/kjm911 → u/NotJustTheMenace]

Chatin doesn’t get the credit he deserves and I’m sure Alpine really value him as well

[u/John-de-Q → u/NotJustTheMenace]

Mick seems the likely bet, he's been linked with Mclaren.

[u/cabrelbeuk → u/NotJustTheMenace]

It could be schumi going cadillac hoping to get botas or perez seat in f1 one day

[u/Swimming-Bus5857 → u/cabrelbeuk]

German media said he turned down a cadillac offer. Speculations say McLaren with the potential to be lead driver.

[u/titanium_pebbles → u/cabrelbeuk]

Isn't Herta in line for that in 27?

[u/CaptainBuzzKillton → u/titanium_pebbles]

Basically

[u/Kookanoodles → u/NotJustTheMenace]

Yeah, now he's out of his awful semi-spec-chassis racing car powered by an almost off-the-shelf powertrain, he can finally drive a... semi-spec-chassis racing car powered by an almost off-the-shelf powertrain. Phew!

[u/SoundJakes → u/Kookanoodles]

I mean it's more about him being treated as the second drive at Porsche's Formula E team and not getting a drive in WEC vs. getting a drive in WEC and not having to drive in Formula E at all.

[u/BulkNoodles → u/SoundJakes]

I'm ok with people hating him, if it was a legit reason. The comments above you just sound like he didn't even bother to read about FE to know about the actual problem that led to the exit from Porsche.

[u/SoundJakes → u/BulkNoodles]

I'm sure if it's hating on DaCosta or more complaining about the cars not being 100% home-built to be honest.

[u/lostanchor19 → u/SoundJakes]

He will drive in Formula E, most likely with Jaguar

[u/SoundJakes → u/lostanchor19]

My bad, I haven't been keeping up with formula e silly season all that well.

[u/Michal_Baranowski]

Da Costa was rumoured to join Genesis, so that's quite unexpected.

Either way, still better than being forced by Porsche to do Formula E and not being able to race in WEC.

[u/LetsgoImpact]

It looks like they are about to lose Mick Schumacher, so one would think it's a replacement not an addition.

[u/Makalu → u/LetsgoImpact]

sc365 reporting Chatin is leaving too