Filipe Albuquerque joins Audi's LMP1 program

Filipe Albuquerque, after three years in touring cars, is following the call of endurance racing. The 28-year-old Audi factory driver from Portugal will be competing for the four rings in the LMP program as well as in GT sport. His season will start on January 25/26 with a commitment in the Daytona 24 Hours in an Audi R8 LMS of the Flying Lizard Motorsport team. Last year, Albuquerque won the GT class there.

In the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid sports car, the Portuguese, as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), will contest the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (May 3) and the Le Mans 24 Hours (June 14/15). Albuquerque has already successfully performed track tests in the LMP1 sports car for Audi Sport and looks forward to the new challenge: “I can hardly wait: I’m going to compete at Le Mans in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, in other words in the best car in the biggest race of the world. Hybrid, quattro, traction control – I’m getting to know many exciting technologies that are new to me. It’s good that I’ll be able to draw on the know-how of experienced team-mates. That’ll accelerate my familiarization.”

Audi Motorsport