Felix da Costa reveals he spoke to Toro Rosso in 2017

  • Published on 17 Aug 2018 10:09
  • comments 0
  • By: Fergal Walsh

Antonio Felix da Costa says that he was in contact with Toro Rosso in 2017 before the team brought in Brendon Hartley, despite not having enough points on his superlicence for a race seat. Felix da Costa joined the Red Bull programme in 2013 but never got a chance in Formula 1, with drivers such as Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz getting the nod ahead of him.

The Portuguese driver has been competing in Formula E for the last four years, picking up one win during his time in the series. Despite parting company with Red Bull in 2015, the 25-year-old revealed that he held talks with Toro Rosso last season, before it opted for Hartley.

"Last year there were contacts at the time of Hartley's entry into Toro Rosso, but Hartley had more financial. support. I even decided to close the door to F1, although I still had a contract with Toro Rosso. But it does not make sense, for example, to pay to play for Real Madrid," he said.

"If you are good at what you do you have to be paid and not the other way around. So since F1 is a chapter closed for me, I am a fan who watches races. Red Bull was my last hope where talent mattered more than money. And now not even there, and that's why hope is over.

"There will always be room for the best, like Magnussen and Vandoorne who were taken by McLaren," he continued. "But there are very good drivers who do not get a chance because there are others who are not bad, but who do not have the quality to be in the top category of motorsport. Now I consider myself a lucky man, I work for a brand known in the four corners of the world, I treat myself well, I have a good career at age 26 and I have a long career ahead so I can't complain. " 

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  • Team Alpine F1
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  • Weight 58 kg
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