Formula EIndyCar

Felix da Costa looking for new Carlin link-up with IndyCar move

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Antonio Felix da Costa would love to drive for Carlin in IndyCar, according to his manager Tiago Monteiro - Credit: ID

Antonio Felix da Costa is looking to add additional races to his schedule around his FIA Formula E commitments, and has been linked with a potential move into the Verizon IndyCar Series with Carlin.

Although Carlin are on the verge of delaying their move into the championship after talks with KV Racing stalled, Tiago Monteiro, Felix da Costa’s manager, believes the Portuguese racer has opportunities at his disposal due to his strong form in Formula E and in the Macau Grand Prix at the end of 2016 where he took his second victory at the legendary event.

“Antonio is contracted to BMW and Formula E with Andretti, obviously, and that’s his main goal and his main program for now,” said Monteiro to Motorsport.com. “Nevertheless, because Formula E, in terms of the calendar, is quite different from other series, there is time for him to do other things.

“Antonio is obviously keen on single-seaters or prototypes – something fast with a lot power and downforce, et cetera. He’s very much enjoying his Formula E adventure but we both believe that the more you drive competitive cars, the better it is for any driver – the more ready you are for any kind of path your career takes.

“So obviously I am looking for many different opportunities for him, in many different championships, and as long as there are no clashes with BMW and Formula E, basically he’s available. So we are indeed looking at many things and nothing is close to being done, but there are many talks in the U.S., in Asia and in Europe.

“He is very much in demand – which is good! – and so we’re just trying to explore all the options, because there is room for more in his racing schedule in 2017.”

Whereas Felix da Costa has been linked with Carlin, there is also a possible vacancy at Schmidt Peterson Motorsport due to potential sponsorship issues for Mikhail Aleshin, but Monteiro knows that the Portuguese driver would also be required to bring in sponsorship money to get the drive, something that he would struggle to do.

“Both teams require some sponsorship money, and we’re not in position to help there,” said Monteiro. “But Trevor was a very important person in my career – without him I wouldn’t have made it to Formula 1 – and then obviously he’s helped Antonio’s career very much. So if he can help Antonio, I’m sure he’d love to do that but this is a business and Trevor needs the right package.

“But I would love to see Antonio do even a part-time season in IndyCar, because racing in America has a lot of advantages. It’s a great experience, and you learn a lot from that. With a good team, I’m sure he would like it. He’s a big fan of the U.S. and I’ve told him about a lot of great experiences I had while I was racing there.”

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