Albert Costa (racing driver)
Albert Costa | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 2, 1990 Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | 2009 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion; class winner at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans; competitor in IMSA SportsCar Championship with DragonSpeed |
Albert Costa Balboa (born 2 May 1990 in Barcelona) is a Spanish professional racing driver currently competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with DragonSpeed. He secured the 2009 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 crown and has been active in sports car racing since 2012, including a class triumph at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Karting
Costa launched his international karting journey in 2004, participating in the ICA Junior category and finishing seventh overall. The following year, he continued in both ICA Junior and ICA divisions, achieving seventh place in the Spanish ICA Junior Championship and winning the Italian Open Masters, narrowly edging out rivals Charles Pic and Marcus Ericsson. In 2006, he competed full-time in the ICA class across five different championships, with his highest result coming in the Asian-Pacific Championship.
Formula Three
Bypassing the lower single-seater levels, Costa stepped directly into Formula Three in 2007 with Räikkönen Robertson Racing. Budget limitations restricted him to just five rounds, where his top result was fourth place at Romania’s Bucharest Ring.
Formula Renault
Following financial difficulties that cut short his Formula Three campaign, Costa transitioned to Formula Renault with Epsilon Euskadi, competing simultaneously in the Eurocup and West European Cup (WEC). In 2008, he placed eighth in the Eurocup without reaching the podium but finished fifth overall and was the top rookie in the WEC. He set fastest laps and secured top-five finishes at tracks such as Nürburgring and Le Mans.
In 2009, Costa remained with Epsilon Euskadi and captured the Eurocup title ahead of competitors Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa. Shortly thereafter, he claimed the WEC championship by winning twice at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Across both series that season, he amassed 13 victories out of 28 races—five wins in the Eurocup and eight in the WEC—demonstrating his strong performance within European formula racing.
Formula Renault 3.5 Series
After earning the Eurocup championship and a €500,000 prize, Costa advanced to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for the 2010 season with Epsilon Euskadi.
Eurocup Megane Trophy
In 2012, Costa stayed within the World Series by Renault but switched to the Eurocup Megane Trophy with defending champions Oregon due to budget constraints limiting his single-seater progression. He won the championship on debut, securing seven race victories.
Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe AWS Sprint Cup
Following six seasons competing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Emil Frey Racing, Costa made his debut in the Sprint Cup. He continues racing for Emil Frey Racing in 2023 within the Pro driver category, piloting a new Ferrari 296 after the team concluded its partnership with Lamborghini in 2022. During the first half of the 2023 season, Costa consistently placed within the top ten but has yet to achieve a podium finish.
Career summary
... [Table continues with same structure, omitted for brevity]| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | British Formula 3 International Series – National | Räikkönen Robertson Racing | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 11th |
| 2008 | Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup | Epsilon Euskadi | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 8th |
| Formula Renault 2.0 WEC | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 85 | 5th | ||
| 2009 | Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup | Epsilon Euskadi | 14 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 138 | 1st |
| Formula Renault 2.0 WEC | 14 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 172 | 1st | ||
| 2010 | Formula Renault 3.5 Series | Epsilon Euskadi | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 5th |
| 2011 | Formula Renault 3.5 Series | EPIC Racing | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 151 | 4th |
| 2012 | 2012 Eurocup Mégane Trophy season | Oregon Team | 14 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 251 | 1st |
| 2016 | 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup | Emil Frey Racing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 2017 | 2017 ADAC GT Masters | Callaway Competition | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 32nd |
* Season still ongoing.
Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results
(key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions) (Entries in italics represent fastest laps)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Epsilon Euskadi 2 | SPA 1 5 |
SPA 2 Ret |
SIL 1 8 |
SIL 2 Ret |
HUN 1 7 |
HUN 2 5 |
NÜR 1 30 |
NÜR 2 4 |
LMS 1 Ret |
LMS 2 4 |
EST 1 34 |
EST 2 15 |
CAT 1 Ret |
CAT 2 Ret |
8th | 35 |
| 2009 | Epsilon Euskadi | CAT 1 DSQ |
CAT 2 1 |
SPA 1 1 |
SPA 2 1 |
HUN 1 Ret |
HUN 2 2 |
SIL 1 2 |
SIL 2 Ret |
LMS 1 2 |
LMS 2 Ret |
NÜR 1 1 |
NÜR 2 1 |
ALC 1 2 |
ALC 2 3 |
1st | 138 |
Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series Results
(key) (Entries in bold signify pole positions) (Entries in italics indicate fastest laps)
| Year | Team Name | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Epsilon Euskadi | ALC 1 "Ret" |
[[Ciudad del Motor de Aragón]|ALC 2]] "4" |
[[Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps]|SPA 1]] "4" |
[[Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps]|SPA 2]] "19" |
[[Circuit de Monaco]|MON 1]] "3" |
[[Masaryk Circuit]|BRN 1]] "18" |
[[Masaryk Circuit]|BRN 2]] "10" |
[[Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours]|MAG 1]] "8" |
[[Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours]|MAG 2]] "5" |
[[Hungaroring]|HUN 1]] "6" |
[[Hungaroring]|HUN 2]] "2" |
[[Hockenheimring]|HOC 1]] "8" |
[[Hockenheimring]|HOC 2]] "17" |
[[Silverstone Circuit]|SIL 1]] "2" |
[[Silverstone Circuit]|SIL 2]] "8" |
[[Circuit de Catalunya]|CAT 1]] "5" |
[[Circuit de Catalunya]|CAT 2]] "10" |
5th | 78 |
|
EPIC Racing |
4 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
18 |
5 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
Ret |
2 |
5 |
5 |
DSQ |
7 |
Ret |
1 |
4th |
151 |
Full Eurocup Mégane Trophy results
(legend) (Entries in bold denote pole position) (Entries in italics signify fastest lap)
| Season | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final Standing | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Oregon Team | ALC 1 2nd |
ALC 2 3rd |
SPA 1 Retired |
SPA 2 3rd |
NÜR 1 1st |
NÜR 2 2nd |
MSC 1 5th |
MSC 2 1st |
HUN 1 1st |
HUN 2 1st |
LEC 1 1st |
LEC 2 1st |
CAT 1 Retired |
CAT 2 1st |
Champion | 251 |
Comprehensive GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Final Position | Championship Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Emil Frey Racing | Emil Frey GT3 Jaguar | Pro | MNZ 20th |
SIL 43rd |
LEC 42nd |
SPA 6H 17th |
SPA 12H 22nd |
SPA 24H 53rd |
NÜR Retired |
NC | 0 |
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | Race Results | Final Rank | Points Accumulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emil Frey Racing | Emil Frey GT3 Jaguar | Pro | MNZ:31, SIL:10, LEC:39, SPA6H:46, SPA12H:55, SPA24H:Ret, CAT:— | 51st | 1 | |
| Emil Frey Lexus Racing | Lexus RC F GT3 | Pro | MNZ:17, SIL:9, LEC:1, SPA6H:31, SPA12H:20, SPA24H:13, CAT:Ret | 9th | 35 | |
| Orange1 FFF Racing Team | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 | Pro | CAT:1 (remaining events not displayed) | 10th | 25 | |
| Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | IMO:18, NÜR:Ret, SPA6H:6, SPA12H:11, SPA24H:31, LEC:8 | 19th | 8 | |
| Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | MNZ:23, LEC:36, SPA6H:56†, SPA12H:Ret, SPA24H:Ret, NÜR:4, CAT:8 | 17th | 16 | |
| Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | IMO:13, LEC:6, SPA6H:40, SPA12H:Ret, SPA24H:Ret, HOC:6, CAT:3 | 15th | 32 |
Full GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Results
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Emil Frey Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 | Pro | BRH 1 7 |
BRH 2 23 |
MIS 1 5 |
MIS 2 5 |
HOC 1 4 |
HOC 2 6 |
VAL 1 2 |
VAL 2 3 |
ZAN 1 2 |
ZAN 2 8 |
4th | 62.5 |
Full 24 Hours of Le Mans Results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Vehicle | Category | Completed Laps | Overall Position | Class Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Template:Country data POLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Inter Europol Competition | Template:Country data SUITemplate:Namespace detect showall Fabio Scherer Template:Country data POLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jakub Śmiechowski |
Oreca 07-Gibson | LMP2 | 328 | 9th overall | 1st in class |
Full FIA World Endurance Championship Results
| Year | Entrant | Category | Chassis Model | Engine Type | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Final Rank | Points Accumulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Inter Europol Competition | LMP2 category | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 engine | SEB 3rd place |
ALG 9th place |
SPA 3rd place |
LMS 1st place |
MNZ 5th place |
FUJ 9th place |
BHR 6th place |
2nd overall | 114 points |
* Current season in progress.
Full Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold marks pole position; italics denotes fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant Team | Vehicle Model | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Race 7 | Race 8 | Race 9 | Race 10 | Race 11 | Race 12 | Race 13 | Race 14 | Race 15 | Race 16 | Final Standing | Points Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Emil Frey Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | ZAN |
28th position |
8 points |
Full IMSA SportsCar Championship Results
(key) (Events shown in bold denote pole position; those in italics signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Category | Car Model | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Overall Position | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Conquest Racing | GTD | Ferrari 296 GT3 | Ferrari 3.0 L Turbocharged V6 | DAY 3 |
SEB 11 |
LBH 12 |
LGA 15 |
WGL 2 |
MOS 11 |
ELK 6 |
VIR 5 |
IMS 19 |
PET 1 |
4th | 2577 |
| GTD Pro | DAY | SEB | LGA | DET 7 |
WGL | MOS | ELK | VIR | IMS | PET | 29th | 266 |