Filipe Albuquerque: “Luck must also be on our side”

Filipe Albuquerque, you seemed in good shape during the Prologue at Sebring. How do you feel in the car?

Alright. It was a little unsettling at first, because I've been testing a lot at Sebring in recent weeks with Acura's LMDh. I was here three weeks ago to develop it and I did all my routines with a heavier, bigger, more powerful car. And last weekend I jumped into this car (Oreca 07 from United Autosports) which is more agile, smaller and much lower in power, obviously. It was interesting because there are good things and bad things.

How do you see this new season?

Even though there are many drivers and teams who have already left for Hypercar, LM P2 remains very competitive. WRT still has two very strong cars, Prema has two very good cars. It’s a beautiful plateau. United will once again be contenders for the title. JOTA will also have a very strong team, even if they will be reduced to just one car. So I see some very good battles in LM P2 again. Even if we are entering a transition period where Hypercar will once again become the main category. It already was, but without much competition. 

You experienced LM P1 with your time at Audi (2014-2015). How do you judge this new golden age ofEndurance ?

It’s good for everyone, for the show, for the championship, that the manufacturers are there. It’s good for the teams, for the engineers to fight for the general classification and to work with manufacturers. It’s also good for the drivers, not only to allow them to repeat the victory in the general classification, but to have a goal for the younger ones. Those who want to gain a place with a manufacturer can come to LM P2 hoping to move up in category. This is a good thing for all Endurance.

United Autosports, WRT, Prema… Three teams that we will probably see fighting again in the race – Photo Thomas Fenêtre / DPPI

In 2022, United Autosports has just one victory at Sebring. However, your car failed to win. What do you need to get back on track to winning?

We have been very strong throughout the year. We started in the top three five times, that shows the speed of the car. Sometimes, if one of the three drivers has difficulties, the situation affects the whole team, which is normal. We were a bit unlucky, for example at Monza where we had a problem with the accelerator while we were in the lead. Luck must also be on our side. It’s the kind of thing that means that when things are going well, everything is even better, and when things are going bad, it’s even worse. It’s a snowball effect.

Unfortunately, due to a conflict of dates with theIMSA, you will miss the 6 Hours of Portimão, your home race, in April. What is your feeling ?

I am very disappointed. It is very difficult for the two championships to manage date conflicts, given the number of series. Despite everything, I think that the communication between IMSA and the WEC should be better on how they want to set up the schedules. I'm not saying they did it on purpose, of course not. I understand that IMSA must work around events Nascar and other races. The WEC wants to avoid FIA races, like the Formula 1 or the Formula E. But when you decide to put in place a common regulation with a championship where you have the same cars, the priority should be to not come into conflict with it, IMSA in this case. In 16 races Formula E, which is also organized by the FIA, there is not a single clash! 

You are entering your seventh season with United Autosports. How do you feel about this?

I never thought I would stay this long with one team, but it is very good news. We are getting along very well. It makes sense to me. They always give me a competitive car and I bring my experience to the settings and to help them. It’s a win-win situation. So why not continue?

7th year of romance between United Autosports and Filipe (Photo: United Autosports)

And you also continue with Phil Hanson…

I have seen him grow since he was 17. He is now a man in his own right. Yesterday (Saturday), he was the man of the day, he did the fastest laps. He keeps getting better. It is obvious that he is fine-tuning the final details that make him a very high-level professional driver, which is not far from being the case.

What can you tell us about your new teammate, Frederik Lubin?

Fred is very young (18 years old), he makes Phil (23 years old) look old! He comes from the car and he has to go through learning how bumpy the Sebring track is, especially compared to what he may have experienced before. It is not easy. He has a lot of important things to learn, but we are here to help him. He is humble and talented. These are the most important events to evolve as a pilot.

ALSO READ > Back in WEC, Tom Blomqvist flourishes in Endurance