Felix da Costa favorite to replace Ricciardo at Toro Rosso
If Daniel Ricciardo comes to leave the Toro Rosso team at the end of the season, the Italian team already has an idea of the name of his successor. Indeed, as a member of the Red Bull junior driver program, the Portuguese Antonio Felix da Costa would be the favorite.
Franz Tost, director of the Toro Rosso team, named Antonio Felix da Costa as one of the most likely drivers if one of the team’s seats becomes available for next season.
Indeed, since Mark Webber announced that he will leave F1 at the end of the year, Daniel Ricciardo is regularly mentioned as one of the favorites to replace his compatriot within the Red Bull Racing team.
If the Australian were to leave Toro Rosso, the Italian team wishes to retain Jean-Eric Vergne to pair him with a young driver from the Red Bull program, and Antonio Felix da Costa is the one with the most experience in this program and is therefore the best placed according to Tost, quoted by Totalrace: « Antonio Felix da Costa is one of the candidates, but let’s wait for Red Bull’s decision. If they take Daniel, then we will evaluate who will be our choice for the second seat. »
The Portuguese driver, who will turn 22 at the end of August, is taking part this year in his first full season of Formula Renault 3.5 and is currently in fifth place in the championship. If he were to be signed by Toro Rosso in 2014, he would become the fifth Portuguese driver to take part in a Grand Prix of the Formula 1 World Championship and the first since Tiago Monteiro in 2006.
