Antonio Felix da Costa ‘unlikely’ to make Super Formula move

By Feb 18, 2017, 9:45 AM EST
© FIA Formula E
0 Comments

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Andretti Formula E driver Antonio Felix da Costa says a move into the Japanese Super Formula series for 2017 is looking unlikely despite talks being held.

Da Costa balances his Andretti Formula E commitments with a role at BMW, having previously raced for the German marque’s DTM team.

Reports last month linked da Costa with a move into Super Formula for 2017, the series being a favorite for many drivers including McLaren Formula 1 racer Stoffel Vandoorne and endurance star Andre Lotterer.

Despite being subject to approaches from multiple teams and having a strong interest in the series himself, da Costa said that a move for 2017 is now looking unlikely.

“Things started in Macau actually before the final race on Saturday night, a couple of talks started to come up,” da Costa told NBC Sports.

“Basically Honda and Toyota, they found out they were both interested in myself. That kind of projected things a bit which was great, and I ended up winning on Sunday which helped me in that market.

“Again, it’s a really quick car with a lot of good drivers and nice tracks, a very good culture that I would like to try.

“But at the end of the day, it’s just getting in a really quick car and driving fast cars on fast laps. It’s a little bit more unlikely now if I’m honest.”

Were da Costa to race in Super Formula full-time this year, it would have to be with the Toyota-backed Sunoco Team LeMans as all other seats are taken.

“I think they’re exploring their options. They’re keeping me in the loop and we’re staying in contact,” da Costa said.

“But if I’m honest it’s a little bit unlikely.”

Even without Super Formula, da Costa is poised to enjoy a busy 2017, having recently been named as one of BMW’s development drivers for its new GTE car that will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2018.

“We’re going to go testing very soon. That’s an exciting thing, being on a new project and starting from zero,” da Costa said.

“You get to decide where you want the seat, where you want the buttons, where you want the screens.

“And that’s really cool for me at 25 to be with a manufacturer that is known all over the world and involved in something like that.

“So I’ll be busy, that’s for sure.”

Ford Mustang GT3 test has Austin Cindric dreaming of Daytona: ‘I want to drive that car’

By Mar 22, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT
Cindric Ford GT3 test
Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
0 Comments

Austin Cindric wasn’t the “mystery” test driver behind the wheel of the new Ford Mustang GT3 at Sebring International Raceway, but the Team Penske driver desperately wanted to be.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, an amateur sports car driver himself, made the big reveal via a Tuesday tweet that provided the first video evidence of the GT3 Mustang on track.

“I’ve watched the video in question about a million times,” Cindric said Wednesday during a Ford Performance Zoom news conference to promote NASCAR’s first road course weekend of the season at Circuit of the Americas. “Definitely exciting times for sure. I want to drive that car. It suits my experience level and also the relationships that I have.”

Ford will enter the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next season with its GT3 Mustang, entering a two-car factory effort (that will be managed by Multimatic) in GTD Pro and making customer cars available in the GT Daytona category.

That increases the likelihood of seeing more NASCAR drivers crossing over to IMSA. Cindric has been the only full-time Cup driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona the past two years, but Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook has said the GT3 Mustang will provide more opportunities.

Ford has used its GT4 Mustang as a NASCAR driver development tool in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Harrison Burton and Zane Smith combining to win the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in January.

“We’re excited about the Next Gen car and the new architecture there and the similarities between that car and GT3 and even GT4 cars,” Rushbrook said at the announcement of the Ford GT3 program in January 2022 at Daytona. “We think it’s a great opportunity and to do be able to do that in a 24-hour race and get NASCAR drivers even more time is something we need to consider taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Given his sports car background, Cindric probably still would be in the Rolex 24 regardless. He has eight IMSA starts since the 2017 season opener at Daytona, racing a Lexus RCF GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT category. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner made his second LMP2 start this year with Rick Ware Racing.

But Cindric’s preference naturally would be in a Ford, particularly with sports car racing enjoying convergence and crossovers in both GT and prototype racing.

“It’s an exciting time in GT racing, just as it is now for prototype racing with a lot of new regulations and manufacturers building new GT3 cars,” he said. “And also the opportunity with WEC (the World Endurance Championship) and Le Mans and how that all lines up for that category of car. It’s definitely an exciting time. I want to be as much of a part of that as possible.”

Though those odds seemingly will increase with multiple Ford entries in the Rolex 24 field next year, Cindric said NASCAR drivers still have to put in the networking to land rides as he has in recent years.

“Now how (the GT3 Mustang) relates to specifically NASCAR drivers and how often they want to be in the Rolex, could it be an influence? Absolutely, as far as the tie-in with the manufacturer,” Cindric said. “But the challenge and the drive and the logistics of getting an opportunity for a race like the Rolex 24 will be just as challenging as it always is to find your one-off ride for the race. At least from my experience, that’s what I still anticipate.”

It turned out the “mystery” test driver wasn’t from NASCAR (Farley revealed the driver to be 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Joey Hand after a fan asked whether it was Joey Logano).

But Cindric believes there could be more Cup drivers — and perhaps himself — behind the wheel of Mustang GT3s in the future.

“There’s definitely more of a pathway than I think there would be before as far as Ford drivers are concerned,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to drive that thing. It’s obviously a great looking car. That’s the first box you’ve got to check. And it’s cool (to have) a guy like Jim Farley, no doubt he’s a racer just as much as he is steering the ship for Ford. It’s cool to see he’s just as excited as the rest of us about it.”