Albert Costa Balboa (born 2 May 1990 in Barcelona) is a Spanish racing driver who is competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Conquest Racing. He was the 2009 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion, and has competed in sports car racing since 2012, including LMP2 class victory in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Career

Karting

Costa started his international karting career in 2004, in the Copa Campeones Trophy for ICA Junior class karts, finishing in seventh position. He continued in the same class in 2005, except for the Copa Campeones Trophy, where he competed in the ICA class. He finished seventh again in that race, adding a seventh in the Spanish ICA Junior Championship, a 27th in the Andrea Margutti Trophy, and 29th in the European Championship. However, Costa excelled himself later in the season, winning the Italian Open Masters. He held off the challenges of Charles Pic and Marcus Ericsson to win the title by nine points. He continued in karting in 2006, but moved into the ICA class full-time. He competed in five different championships over the course of the season, but only finished in the top fifteen in the Asian-Pacific Championship.

Formula Three Costa made the substantial leap from karting to Formula Three, missing out on many conventional lower single-seater formulae. He drove for Räikkönen Robertson Racing in the first five rounds of the series, before funds dried up. His best result came during the series' first visit to the Bucharest Ring in Romania, when he finished fourth in class, just over a second behind Hamad Al Fardan, who finished third.

Formula Renault

After his Formula Three career was cut short by lack of funds, Costa dropped down to Formula Renault to compete in the Eurocup and West European Cup for Epsilon Euskadi. Costa finished eighth in the pan-European series, despite failing to finish on the podium in any of the fourteen races. His best finish was fourth at the Nürburgring and Le Mans. He also recorded the fastest lap during the first race at Estoril. He placed three spots higher in the WEC, finishing fifth overall and runner-up in the rookie standings behind Jean-Éric Vergne.

Costa continued with Epsilon into 2009, again competing in the Eurocup and West European Cup. He won the Eurocup, holding off the challenges of both Vergne and António Félix da Costa, and two weeks later, sealed the WEC title thanks to a double win at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Costa won thirteen of the 28 races he competed in, winning five in the Eurocup and eight in the WEC.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

After being awarded €500,000 prize money for winning the Eurocup title, Costa graduated to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2010 with Epsilon Euskadi.

Eurocup Megane Trophy Costa remained part of the World Series by Renault in 2012 as he switched to Eurocup Megane Trophy with defending champions Oregon. He had hoped to remain on the single-seater ladder, but a budget shortfall necessitated his switch to tin-tops. Costa won the title at his first attempt, scoring seven race victories along the way.

Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe AWS Sprint Cup

Costa made his debut in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup after six years in the Endurance Cup with Emil Frey Racing.

Costa would continue with the team in 2023 in the sprint cup racing in the Pro driver category, however, with a new car, the Ferrari 296, after the team ended their contract with the Lamborghini in 2022.

Costa has consistently finished in the top-ten in the first half of the 2023 season but has yet to stand on the podium in the sprint cup.

Racing record

Career summary 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 Eurocup Mégane Trophy Oregon Team 14 7 8 6 10 251 1st 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Emil Frey Racing 4 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2017 ADAC GT Masters Callaway Competition 2 0 0 0 0 14 32nd Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Emil Frey Jaguar Racing 4 0 0 0 0 1 28th Intercontinental GT Challenge100000NC Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup Emil Frey Lexus Racing 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC International GT Open 14 4 4 5 7 98 3rd 2018 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Emil Frey Lexus Racing 5 1 0 0 1 35 9th Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup 10 0 0 2 0 15.5 13th 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Orange 1 FFF Racing Team 1 1 0 0 1 25 10th International GT Open Emil Frey Racing 14 4 5 1 7 128 1st 2020 ADAC GT Masters GRT Grasser Racing Team1400211028th WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD100001755th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Emil Frey Racing40000819th GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup10211260.55th Intercontinental GT Challenge100000NC 2021 ADAC GT Masters GRT Grasser Racing Team1001031039th WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD2000013376th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Emil Frey Racing500001617th GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup10101343.56th Intercontinental GT Challenge100000NC 2022 ADAC GT Masters Emil Frey Racing1411231404th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup500113215th Intercontinental GT Challenge GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Imperiale Racing20000322nd Stock Car Brasil Blau Motorsport101110NC†2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 Inter Europol Competition 7 1 0 0 3 114 2nd 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP211001N/A1st GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Emil Frey Racing 10 0 0 1 3 62.5 4th Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters 2 0 0 0 0 8 28th International GT Open Team Motopark200000NC†2024 European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Pro-Am Nielsen Racing 3 0 0 0 1 33 10th IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Conquest Racing 10 1 0 0 3 2577 4th IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Pro 1 0 0 0 0 266 37th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Eastalent Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Pro DragonSpeed 10 1 4 3 6 31922nd2026IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTDConquest Racing10012123638th * Season still in progress.

Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearEntrant1234567891011121314PosPoints 2008 Epsilon Euskadi 2SPA1SPA2SIL1SIL2HUN1HUN2NÜR1NÜR2LMS1LMS2EST1EST2CAT1CAT2 8th 35 2009 Epsilon EuskadiCAT1CAT2SPA1SPA2HUN1HUN2SIL1SIL2LMS1LMS2NÜR1NÜR2ALC1ALC2 1st 138

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts 2010 Epsilon Euskadi ALC1 ALC2 SPA1 SPA2 MON1 BRN1 BRN2 MAG1 MAG2 HUN1 HUN2 HOC1 HOC2 SIL1 SIL2 CAT1 CAT2 5th 78 2011 EPIC Racing ALC1 ALC2 SPA1 SPA2 MNZ1 MNZ2 MON1 NÜR1 NÜR2 HUN1 HUN2 SIL1 SIL2 LEC1 LEC2 CAT1 CAT2 4th 151

Complete Eurocup Mégane Trophy results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Points 2012 Oregon Team ALC1 ALC2 SPA1 SPA2 NÜR1 NÜR2 MSC1 MSC2 HUN1 HUN2 LEC1 LEC2 CAT1 CAT2 1st 251

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos. Points 2016 Emil Frey Racing Emil Frey GT3 Jaguar Pro MNZ SIL LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR NC 0 2017 Emil Frey Racing Emil Frey GT3 Jaguar Pro MNZ SIL LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H CAT 51st 1 2018 Emil Frey Lexus Racing Lexus RC F GT3 Pro MNZ SIL LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H CAT 9th 35 2019 Orange1 FFF Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Pro MNZ SIL LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H CAT 10th 25 2020 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro IMO NÜR SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H LEC 19th 8 2021 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro MNZ LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR CAT 17th 16 2022 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro IMO LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H HOC CAT 15th 32 2024 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II Pro LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR MNZ JED NC 0

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Year Team Car Class 12 345678 910 Pos. Points 2017 Emil Frey Lexus Racing Lexus RC F GT3 Pro MISQR MISCR BRHQR BRHCR ZOLQR ZOLCR HUNQR HUNCR NÜRQR NÜRCR NC 0 2018 Emil Frey Lexus Racing Lexus RC F GT3 Pro ZOL1 ZOL2 BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 HUN1 HUN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 13th 15.5 2020 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro MIS1 MIS2 MIS3 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 CAT1 CAT2 CAT3 5th 60.5 2021 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 BRH1 BRH2 VAL1 VAL2 6th 43.5 2022 Imperiale Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro BRH1 BRH2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 VAL1 VAL 2 22nd 3 2023 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 HOC1 HOC2 VAL1 VAL2 ZAN1 ZAN2 4th 62.5

Complete ADAC GT Masters results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Points 2017 Callaway Competition Corvette C7 GT3-R OSC1 OSC2 LAU1 LAU2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 SAC1 SAC2 'HOC1 HOC2 32nd 14 2020 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo LAU1 LAU2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 SAC1 SAC2 RBR1 RBR2 LAU1 LAU2 OSC1 OSC2 8th 102 2021 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EvoOSC1OSC2RBR1RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2LAU1LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 NÜR1 NÜR2 9th 103 2022 Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo OSC1 OSC2 RBR1 RBR2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 LAU1 LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 HOC1 HOC2 4th 140

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearEntrantClassMakeEngine123456789101112RankPoints 2020 GRT Grasser Racing Team GTD Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Lamborghini 5.2 L V10 DAY DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL MOH CLT PET LGA SEB 55th 17 2021 GRT Grasser Racing Team GTD Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Lamborghini 5.2 L V10 DAY SEB MOH DET WGL WGL LIM ELK LGA LBH VIR PET 76th 1332024Conquest RacingGTDFerrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 DAYSEBLBHLGAWGLMOSELKVIRIMSPET 4th 2577GTD Pro DET 29th 2662025DragonSpeedGTD ProFerrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET 2nd 3192 2026 Conquest Racing GTD Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 DAY SEB LBH LGA WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET 8th 2363

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points 2023 Inter Europol Competition LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SEB ALG SPA LMS MNZ FUJ BHR 2nd 114

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2023 Inter Europol Competition Fabio Scherer Jakub Śmiechowski Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 328 9th 1st

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points 2023 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 OSC1 OSC2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NOR1 NOR2 NÜR1 NÜR2 LAU1 LAU2 SAC1 SAC2 RBR1 RBR2 HOC1 HOC2 28th 8

Complete European Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points 2024 Nielsen Racing LMP2 Pro-Am Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 CAT LEC IMOSPAMUGALG 10th 33

References

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