Antonio Felix da Costa executed a masterclass strategy to secure 2026 Formula E Jeddah E-Prix victory marking his first win with Jaguar TCS Racing and ending a long drought since his last triumph in 2024.
The Portuguese driver’s strategic deployment of Attack Mode propelled him to the front as Porsche struggled with championship leader Pascal Wehrlein finishing eighth after qualifying struggles hampered his Race 1-winning momentum.
The race, held under the floodlights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit unfolded over 30 intense laps without the complication of a Pit Boost stop, allowing drivers to focus purely on energy management, Attack Mode activation, and strategic pacing in the sweltering Saudi Arabian night.
Qualifying third on the grid, Antonio Felix da Costa exemplified patience and precision, conserving energy in the early stages amid a frenetic lead battle before unleashing a perfectly timed first Attack Mode on lap 18, which propelled him to the front by lap 21 and built an unassailable lead.
From the outset, the frontrunners adopted a controlled approach, deliberately managing their pace over the first eight laps to preserve battery life on the demanding 2.69-kilometer street circuit known for its high-speed straights and tight corners.
Envision’s Sebastien Buemi, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland and Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara traded the lead seamlessly, with Buemi briefly leading on lap four via an audacious outside move at the hairpin, only for Rowland to reclaim the top spot moments later.
By Lap 8, Rowland had slowed the pack deliberately to manage energy, creating a five-second deficit to Buemi’s earlier blistering pace which allowed da Costa to cycle back to the frontrunners.
Mortara surged to first on Lap 9 by boldly overtaking Rowland on the outside into the high-speed Turn 13, the latter dropping to fourth setting the tone for a frantic early battle.
Lola’s Lucas di Grassi was the first to activate Attack Mode on lap 11 but it was Rowland who jumped on lap 16, slicing through da Costa, Buemi and Mortara to reclaim the lead with 12 laps remaining.
Da Costa, holding the most energy among his rivals despite slipping mid-pack temporarily, timed his first Attack Mode to perfection on lap 18, storming past Buemi into second before blasting by Rowland down to the hairpin on lap 20.
By the end of his boost, da Costa had already built a 3.5-second buffer emulating Wehrlein’s winning strategy from Race 1 the previous evening.
On Lap 24, Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum capitalized on his Attack Mode to challenge for the lead, briefly holding second, while Rowland became the first to take his second activation followed by Buemi and Mortara on Lap 28.
At the front, Antonio Felix da Costa navigated the final laps unchallenged to ultimately claim Jeddah E-Prix victory ahead of Sebastien Buemi, who fended off Oliver Rowland’s late charge by just 0.934s to claim his first podium of the season.
Edoardo Mortara slipped to fourth, as Cupra Kiro enjoyed a solid outing with Dan Ticktum claiming fifth ahead of teammate Pepe Marti—the two surviving a tense penultimate-lap brush that almost derailed their strong result.
Jaguar’s Mitch Evans finished seventh, while Pascal Wehrlein mustered eighth place burdened by Porsche’s qualifying struggles that persisted into the race.
READ MORE:
Full 2026 Formula E Jeddah E-Prix Race 2 Results
Pascal Wehrlein cruises to Jeddah E-Prix Race 1 victory, Pit Boost chaos shuffles the grid
