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Da Costa: Late call-up makes second Macau win sweeter

Macau Grand Prix winner Antonio Felix da Costa says his late call-up to return to the famous Formula 3 event has made his second victory feel better than the first.

António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen

António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen

Alexander Trienitz

Podium: Race winner António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen
Start of the race
António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen
António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen
António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen
Podium: Race winner António Felix da Costa, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen; second place Callum Ilott, Van Amersfoort Racing Dallara Mercedes; third place Sérgio Sette Camara, Carlin Dallara Volkswagen

The BMW factory driver only decided last month to return to Macau after being invited by Trevor Carlin, and had just two days of testing at the Red Bull Ring to prepare for his assault.

But after delivering a brilliant performance all weekend to take the triumph and follow up on his 2012 success, da Costa says the circumstances this time around have surpassed his previous achievement.

“Maybe it feels better I think,” he said. “I was not supposed to come. I am not meant to be here, I am not meant to race an F3 car – so none of this makes sense. It was a super late call.

“I did two days of testing only and we come here with a car that has not a single sponsor.

"Trevor called me up to come here and he said, ‘I will try to find a sponsor to pay you’ and I said: ‘It doesn’t matter. I love this race, I love this car and this track, I will come and do it.’”

Monteiro win added pressure

Da Costa said that he had been relaxed all weekend until race day, when he finally felt pressure to win – and things were not helped by his compatriot Tiago Monteiro triumphing in the TCR series finale.

“I was pretty chilled the whole weekend until today,” he said. “Today, I felt: ‘okay, I need to do it.’ It is the only time of the month that I put pressure on myself to do it.

“I woke up with a different feeling already and Tiago made my life super hard because he won. My Dad called me last night and said 'if the two of you win, it will be an historical thing'! The he [Tiago] wins – and I think ‘okay!’

“I know I have said all week that to come away with a top-five would be great, and it would have been. But today, I had to do it. I am so happy that I did it, and I have to thank my team – because they gave me the car to do it. I am just a happy boy.”

 

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