Porsche has formally appealed the three-minute penalty that was given to Antonio Felix da Costa in the London E-Prix. The penalty dropped da Costa from second place to 16th, and it effectively ended Porsche’s chances of winning the Formula E teams’ championship.
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The team says the penalty was ‘unfair’ and ‘unprecedented’
Porsche says that the penalty was “unfair” and “unprecedented.” The team argues that da Costa’s tyre pressure was only 0.5 bar below the minimum, which is well within the tolerances allowed by the FIA. They also says that Da Costa did not gain any advantage from the lower tyre pressure.
Da Costa himself has also spoken out against the penalty. He said that he was “disappointed” with the decision and that he felt that he had been “unfairly punished.” Da Costa said that he was “confident” that the appeal would be successful.
The appeal will be heard by the FIA’s International Court of Appeal (ICA). The ICA is expected to issue its decision within the next few weeks. If the appeal is successful, da Costa’s result in the London E-Prix will be reinstated, and he will be awarded the second-place finish.
Da Costa could have finished second if not for the penalty
This would be a significant boost for Porsche’s chances of winning the team championship. Porsche currently sits in second place in the championship, 12 points behind Mercedes-EQ. If da Costa had finished second in the London E-Prix, the team would have reduced the gap to Mercedes-EQ to just six points.
The appeal is a significant development in the Formula E season. It is the first time that a team has appealed a penalty in the history of the series. The outcome of the appeal could have a major impact on the championship standings.
Porsche hopes to overturn the penalty before the season finale
The penalty was given to da Costa after he failed to change his left rear tyre during a safety car restart.
- The penalty dropped da Costa from second place to 16th.
- Porsche is the first team to appeal a penalty in Formula E history.
- The ICA is expected to issue its decision within the next few weeks.
They has had a strong season in Formula E so far. The team has won three races, and it currently sits in second place in the team championship. Porsche’s drivers, Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein, have both been in contention for race wins throughout the season.
However, Porsche’s chances of winning the teams’ championship were dealt a blow in the London E-Prix. Da Costa was penalised for failing to change his left rear tyre during a safety car restart, and he dropped from second place to 16th. This effectively ended their chances of winning the championship, as they now trail Mercedes-EQ by 12 points with only one race remaining.
Despite the disappointment of the London E-Prix, Porsche can still be proud of its performance in the 2022–23 Formula E season. The team has been one of the most consistent performers, and it has shown that it is capable of winning races. Porsche will be hoping to finish the season on a high note in the final race in Berlin.
Here is a table of the current teams’ championship standings:
| Team | Points |
| Mercedes-EQ | 164 |
| Porsche | 152 |
| DS Techeetah | 142 |
| Envision Racing | 138 |
| Jaguar | 134 |
As can be seen, Mercedes-EQ is currently in the lead, but Porsche is only 12 points behind. With one race remaining, anything is possible. Porsche will be hoping to win the final race in Berlin and take the teams’ championship.
