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Antonio Felix da Costa is looking to Monaco to breathe fresh life into his Formula E Season 12 title campaign, after a troubled Berlin double-header threatened to derail what had been a promising start to the season.
Da Costa's year has been defined by sharp contrasts. Back-to-back victories in Jeddah Race 2 and Madrid had positioned him as a genuine contender, but Berlin proved to be a rude interruption. Despite topping practice sessions and a qualifying group — underlining the car's raw one-lap pace — set-up inconsistencies hampered his ability to translate that speed into race results. Finishes of tenth in Race 1 and last among the classified runners in Race 2 told a story far removed from the form that had carried him through the opening rounds.
Yet the Portuguese driver is drawing comfort from where the difficulties originated. "I think Berlin probably took us back a little bit from the track that we were on, but not for a lack of performance, which is the reassuring thing for us," he told Motorsport Week.
"We topped a couple of sessions in Berlin, a qualifying group, so we've been very, very fast in one lap. All through this season, we've been really quick in one lap, and Berlin is not a track that rewards that."
The implication is clear: the struggles in Berlin were circuit-specific rather than a sign of a deeper structural problem. For Da Costa, that distinction matters enormously when framing his expectations for what comes next.
The Monaco E-Prix represents a very different proposition — and one that could play directly into his hands. The tight barriers, winding street layout, and limited overtaking opportunities place an outsized premium on qualifying. Unlike Berlin, a strong grid position around the Principality is not merely an advantage; it is frequently the decisive factor in who ultimately fights for victory.
Da Costa is acutely aware of that dynamic. "Here definitely is [more important to qualify well]," he said, "so hopefully we'll be good here in one lap, be able to qualify up front and then it's going to be some interesting races here."
The championship picture around the Monaco double-header is tightly contested, with Pascal Wehrlein also arriving in the Principality in confident mood ahead of a title fight. Da Costa will need to deliver on his one-lap pace if he is to keep pace at the sharp end of the standings.
For full schedule details and broadcast information for the 2026 Monaco E-Prix double-header, everything you need to know is here.
With one-lap speed clearly not in question, Da Costa arrives in Monaco with reason for optimism — and a score to settle after Berlin.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.