São Paulo had the look of a proper points day for Jaguar from the moment qualifying wrapped up. António Félix da Costa lined up sixth, Mitch Evans ninth — both well placed in the thick of it, and crucially clear of the usual first-corner chaos.
Which, as it turned out, mattered straight away. When trouble kicked off at Turn 1, both Jaguars threaded through cleanly. From there, it was one of those Formula E races where energy management matters as much as outright pace — and both cars were right where they needed to be.
By lap nine, once the first Attack Modes were taken, Jaguar suddenly found itself in the perfect place. António and Mitch ran first and second, controlling the race rather than reacting to it. For a while, it felt like one of those rare moments where everything was lining up.
That didn’t last. Just before halfway, Mitch picked up contact and the balance went away from him. He slipped back through the pack, while António kept his nose clean and stayed firmly in the top five. When he took his second Attack Mode with seven laps left, it genuinely looked like a podium might be on the cards — a big statement in his very first race for Jaguar TCS Racing.
Then Formula E did what Formula E does.
A safety car for the Mortara–Di Grassi collision wiped out António’s Attack Mode advantage in one hit. Momentum gone. Opportunity blunted. From looking like a podium threat, he was suddenly just another car in the queue when racing resumed.
At the restart on lap 27, António was still in the fight for a solid top-six. Mitch, now down in 13th, threw everything at it by taking his final Attack Mode immediately and began carving his way forward — exactly the kind of damage-limitation drive we’ve seen from him so many times before.
But again, the race had other ideas. With two laps to go, Mitch was taken out in a racing incident, ending his afternoon and bringing out another safety car.
And then came the moment nobody wants to see. As the field slowed, Pepe Martí ran into the back of António at speed. Red flag. A horrible impact — thankfully Martí climbed out unhurt — but António’s race was effectively undone there and then.
António Felix Da Costa said, “First of all, I’m glad that Pepe is OK. Seeing him come over the top of my car, I was worried for him, so I was relieved he was not hurt. He came and apologised after the race, so there’s no issue.
At the point of the second safety car my race had already been compromised ‑ I was in contention for a podium when the first safety car was called while in Attack Mode ‑ but the work we had to do to make the restart after the second safety car meant I finished out of the points.
Looking at the positives ‑ we were strong in quali and the race on pace, and while there’s work to do, I’ll be ready to fight in Mexico!”
Although he limped back to the pits running sixth, FIA-mandated rear-wing repairs meant he had to restart the one-lap dash from 12th. From there, there was simply nothing he could do. He crossed the line 12th, later classified 11th after Drugovich’s penalty.
On paper, it’ll read as a tough, low-return weekend. But anyone watching knew better. The pace was there. The positioning was right. And for long spells, Jaguar looked like it had the race under control — until circumstances, contact and safety cars decided otherwise.
One of those days.
