“In my 20-plus years of racing, I've had a couple of momentums like this, where it looks like I can do no wrong,” said da Costa, speaking in the post-race press conference in Portland. “But I've also been on the other end of the coin, where you're doing everything right and results are just not coming out.”
While the Porsche driver had a slow start to the season, the second half of it has been anything but. Finding his stride once again, the former champion has won an unprecedented four of the last five races in Formula E, with an unbroken streak of three wins since Shanghai. Even in his title-winning season, da Costa didn’t manage to achieve that level of consistent success.
“What I'm trying to say is I'll never take it for granted. I'll always make sure that we enjoy these moments and keep working hard and don't get sloppy.
“But you never know when your last one can be. So hopefully there is many more to come, but I'll just make sure that we keep enjoying this and we keep going."
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After the wins, da Costa is thrust into contention for the drivers’ title – now fourth in the standings with 134 points to his name, just 33 points adrift of standings leader and Jaguar TCS Racing driver Nick Cassidy.
After the Kiwi’s catastrophic time out in Portland saw him walk away with no additional points to his name, the title fight has widened significantly, with Cassidy’s teammate Mitch Evans equal on points with da Costa’s fellow Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein, who leads his teammate by just 21 points.
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With such an up-and-down season for da Costa, the Portuguese driver has needed to work hard on his mental fitness as well as his physical health. “My mental coach is now a friend. Pedro is a great guy, and he's obviously very crucial for the bad moments, but he's also very crucial for the good moments – like how to deal with relationships, happiness, sadness and frustration.
“It's like when you go to the gym and you work out your muscles, [your mind] is also a muscle, so he’s like a gym for my brain. I like working with people like that.”
With his toughest test yet to come, da Costa will need to work hard in London to clinch another title. With four of Formula E’s greatest drivers looking in strong contention, the UK capital looks set for a significant showdown. “I just need to keep fit and make sure I arrive in London fit and well prepared,” said da Costa, all too aware of the cruel unpredictability of the championship.