Filipe Albuquerque is one of the names that you associate with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and rightly so, since it’s been eleven years since he made his debut, but it’s been ten years since he last competed in the top category, for overall honors.
This year he is competing in the Hypercar category with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing #101, alongside Ricky and Jordan Taylor.
Racing24-7.net caught up with him, to have a brief chat about what has happened since his debut.
What has changed over the past 10 years?
“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s a good example, in a way, that you need to be in motorsport, you need to be in the right time and right moment. I entered with the right foot in Le Mans. I was the best rookie, I was going well in the first two seasons, learning as much as I could from Dindo Capello, Kristensen, the old generation, the previous generation, so wise and so different from the new generation.”
“Back then, they were looking at saving cars. Nowadays, I need to adapt to that mentality of, like, destroying the car over curbs, because the car can handle it. And when I was ready to be doing a full-time season, the program died. And I was definitely in the right car. But unfortunately, my manufacturer (Audi, editor) just, you know, went out, which happens. And then I tried to come back, as you know, over year after year to the main category, but there literally was no seats. And I was not in the right time and right moment.”
“And eventually, I won LMP2, which in the past three or four years ago, it was the most competitive category out there with 20 cars, with a lot of the same drivers I’m going to be racing on track. It’s going to be the same drivers, just different cars, just a bit faster on the straights. So, it’s a good example of, like, sometimes you don’t control our career, even if you’re doing the right job. And then I signed again for the second, for the manufacturer again, the only one that never raced in Le Mans (Honda/Acura, editor). Come on, like, how unlucky I need to be to be choosing that one occasionally.”
“And so now I’m in the right car and kind of like I was doing in Le Mans. And I can tell you, like, I’ve been here just only one day and I cannot tell you how happy I am and excited to be here because especially you just go around in the paddock, I don’t know if you’ve been, but when you go, you will be impressed with the level of everybody, but the level as well of Cadillac for their effort, putting in these four cars. It’s impressive. So, yeah, actually, it gives me goosebumps in a way that shows me that they are not holding back anything, Cadillac. And for the drivers point of view, this is just a joy because then you are fully committed. If you’re fully committed, the driver will be even more committed to honor that commitment. And you will see the hospitality. Everything is on point, really, really well organized. It’s the first time for Wayne Taylor. But again, we are drinking all the experience of Jota being here for, I don’t know, 15 years.. Yeah, there’s good there’s good exchange of information.”
Photo: JJ Media
You are sharing a lot of the information?
“Completely! It’s running different colors that’s it and different numbers on the car – the rest it’s completely open between us.”
Is that car that you are running here, your regular IMSA chassis or is it a different car?
“Yes, it’s a chassis that was sent over here to be prepared in Europe, because we will not have time to bring it back in time to Watkins Glen (the 6 hours race, that is run the weekend after Le Mans, editor).
The years following your outings in the top category, have also been quite successful, with a win and two fourth places.
“Yeah, it was my 30th birthday and now it’s going to be my 40th birthday,” he says with a huge smile on his face.
“Unfortunately my time in LMP2 has been like a bit frustrating, because we won it once and the other ones – one of them i started in the front row my car and we’ve crashed – we beat the record shortest race ever, so we crashed in after 100 meters or something. So it’s been hard it’s been frustrating to to do those races with multiple laps down, but the speed was definitely there. Constantly starting the race on top five or finishing in the top five in the first end and then something happens, but again that’s Le Mans being hard, and the more I come over here, the more I resemble the the quote of, you don’t choose le mans – le mans chooses you, because you can be really fast the whole weekend – something happens to you that weekend. you’re out of the race, that’s it!
With more than 20 cars in the Hypercar category, it’s even more important to stay clean.
“It’s crazy. Yeah a little puncture, it’s not your fault, it’s nobody’s fault, it just happens. Again, Le Mans is choosing the driver, the team to win. So we’ll see. I just hope that it chooses us, and obviously, and stay clean.”
The 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be run on 14-15 June 2025.
