Team Aguri team boss Mark Preston has revealed that the team will be actively seeking an experienced Formula E driver for when Antonio Felix da Costa is absent due to this DTM Series commitments.
The Portuguese driver will miss the rounds in Berlin and Moscow as he will be racing for his BMW squad at the Red Bull Ring and Lausitzring respectively, and Preston insists he wants someone who has prior Formula E experience to fill the void, with Sakon Yamamoto and Salvador Duran possible replacements.
“It could be someone different but the benefit with someone like Sakon, or Salvador, is they’ve driven the car,” said Preston to Autosport. “You wouldn’t want to put someone straight into these cars.
“A driver with experience would be best, we haven’t really thought that far forward yet.”
As of season two, Formula E teams are only able to make two driver changes throughout the season, much like in Formula 1, but no changes are meant to be made within the final three rounds to avoid interfering in the possible championship battle, and with Felix da Costa set to miss rounds eight and nine of the ten-round calendar, Team Aguri will need special dispensation to bring in a substitute.
“It’s a big shame but I put all my effort into Formula E when I’m here,” said Felix da Costa. “You can’t ask me to make racing for a manufacturer like BMW in a championship like DTM to be a second thing.”
