“Having said that, I’m sure that absolutely everybody else has improved and they’re here to give us a very very hard time.”
While Da Costa’s focus is solely on Techeetah this season, Vergne will balance commitments with Peugeot’s WEC return at the tail-end of the year.
Though it’s an extra pressure for the Frenchman, there is no doubt in his team-mates mind that he will be getting the very best of him this season as a rival.
Vergne himself says he’s content to let his Peugeot team-mates handle things until his time comes to prepare for the 2021/22 season.
“At the moment, I don’t share it (time) because only James (Rossiter) is doing simulator work for Peugeot. It’s going to come later in the year that I will have to come into the simulator and start working. Obviously, I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the car and to see it. But at the moment, my time is 100 per cent on DS and Formula E.”
Make no mistake, both are preparing for a season-long battle against one another for the championship.
Techeetah has emerged as one of the top, if not the top team in the electric series, and with the homologation of cars being decided after the opening rounds until Gen3’s introduction, there is no reason why they won’t be up fighting for the title for a while yet.
Both are now champions in Formula E, something that Vergne admits has changed the dynamic between the two.
A level of respect has formed and an admission that they are each other’s biggest rival was evident when questioned ahead of the season.
“I think in a way, I gained some respect for him because when you arrive in the team like this and you’re trying to prove yourself,” Vergne explained.
“Sometimes you have a situation where they aren’t likeable but now that he’s won, he’s not in the position that he needs to prove that like he was last year.
“I think things got a bit easier between us now we’re both champions, we both respect each other a lot. We probably treat each other equally now.
“If I don’t beat the champion then it’s normal. If I beat the champion, then it looks great. Either way, the internal fight will still be there.”