Filipe Albuquerque relished his return in fighting for a top-class Le Mans victory for the first time in a decade, with Wayne Taylor Racing.
Albuquerque told Motorsport Week: “My last time in the top class was 2015, and we were actually fighting for the win.
“We were the best Audi, pushing the Porsches.
“For a long time, there’s only been one manufacturer dominating the top class (Toyota in LMP1).
“Now, I’m back on track with the same drivers I raced against years ago — Buemi, Conway — and we’re fighting again, which feels great.”
Reflecting on the years spent in LMP2, Albuquerque emphasised the quality of the class and the significance of stepping back up into a position to win outright.
“People shouldn’t take away from what Toyota achieved during that time — they still had to do the job,” he said.
“LMP2 had a huge grid, 25, 26 cars, a lot of pro drivers. It was very competitive, but winning overall is different.
“It’s more rewarding — and no one can take that away from you.”
Albuquerque has been racing for five years with Wayne Taylor Racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and is co-driving in the #101 Cadillac V-Series.R with team-mates Jordan and Ricky Taylor.
The Portuguese driver won Le Mans in the highly competitive LMP2 category in 2020 with United Autosports, during an FIA World Endurance Championship campaign resulting in the LMP2 Drivers’ title.
He drove during the 2014 and 2015 WEC seasons – including Le Mans – in the prolific Audi Team Joest sportscar racing programme.
Since then, he has driven in all nine consecutive Le Mans races in LMP2 machinery. Furthermore, he has raced with United Autosports since 2017, having established an extensive relationship with the Yorkshire-based team.
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