Filipe Miguel Delgadinho Araújo Albuquerque (né Albuquerque; born 13 June 1985) is a Portuguese professional racing driver, currently driving a Cadillac V-Series.R in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Wayne Taylor Racing.
A former Audi factory driver in DTM and LMP1, Albuquerque has been most successful in LMP2, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans for United Autosports in 2020.Albuquerque will defend LMP2 WEC crown in 2021 with United Autosports – Gary Watkins, Autosport, 18 December 2020 Additionally, he is a three-time IMSA runner-up and two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2018 and 2021.
Career
Albuquerque started his motor racing career in karting in 1993, "I started karting as a joke, but it quickly became more and more serious" Albuquerque recalled, "It's really hard to get sponsorship to go racing. Without Red Bull I would probably be at home studying" he added.Interview with Filipe Albuquerque. Autosport Magazine, Vol. 187, No. 11, pp. 55, Haymarket Publications. 15 March 2007. He went on to win two national karting titles before moving up to Spanish Formula Three with the help of Red Bull. He has built a strong reputation in endurance racing, winning the LMP2 title in the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship, the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020, and overall victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2018 and 2021. But later, Albuquerque was moved up to the Formula Renault, "a driver was fired from Red Bull" The Portuguese commented, "and I was told I would do the Renault 2.0-litre race in Zolder." Albuquerque was the fastest driver for the team during the race and so became the permanent replacement and was also called into the Formula Renault German series.
Albuquerque finished sixth in the Spanish Formula Three championship, fifth in the Formula Renault Eurocup and third in the Formula Renault Germany series, finishing as a highest positioned rookie in all three championships. In 2006, Albuquerque raced in two championships, the Formula Renault Eurocup championship and the North European Formula Renault championship, where he won the Drivers' title in both series.
For 2007, Albuquerque entered the Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship with the Epsilon Euskadi team, and finished fourth in the drivers' championship. He was also chosen as replacement of Ernesto Viso in the Silverstone round of GP2 Series, following the Venezuelan's accident at Magny-Cours. Albuquerque remained in Formula Renault 3.5 for 2008, but only competed in four races, as he focussed on the A1 Grand Prix series.
Albuquerque made his A1 GP début in the 2007–08 season, replacing João Urbano at A1 Team Portugal mid-season. He finished every race he started in the points, including three podium finishes, and the team finished eleventh in that year's championship. He returned for the 2008–09 season as the team's sole driver, and finished third overall after a campaign which saw him take Portugal's first series win, in China. He was retained for the 2009–10 season, but the series ran into financial trouble and the new season was cancelled before it began.
With his single-seater career prospects looking bleak, Albuquerque moved to Italian GT racing when it became apparent that the A1 GP series had died. He moved to the Italian GT3 Championship for part of the 2009 season, driving an Audi R8 LMS. He also made an appearance at one of the race meetings for the 2009 Superstars Series season, a touring car championship, and finished second in both races, driving an Audi RS4. For 2010, he competed in the Italian GT3 Championship full-time, finishing as joint-runner up in the series with his Audi R8 LMS co-driver Marco Bonanomi, behind champion Gianluca Roda in a Porsche 997 GT3. He also made another Superstars guest appearance for Audi, winning one of the races at his home event, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Albuquerque competed in the 2010 Race of Champions event at Düsseldorf. He was partnered with Portuguese countryman Álvaro Parente in the Cup of Nations, where they were knocked out in the group stage. In the individual Champion of Champions competition, however, Albuquerque scored a surprise victory, defeating Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel in the semi-final and multiple World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb in the final.
In 2011, Albuquerque competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, driving a 2008-spec Audi A4, also entering the Blancpain Endurance Series in an Audi R8 entered by Belgian team WRT, which finished second overall on the final standings.
In 2013, Albuquerque made his debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona driving an Audi R8 Grand-Am for Alex Job Racing in the GT class. He won the class as part of an Audi 1–2 finish.
In 2014, Albuquerque was no longer racing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He raced in the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 category and finished as runner up on the drivers' standings. He was also a part of Audi's official team for the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Albuquerque nearly won the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona, leading the final stages of the race before contact with Ricky Taylor caused him to spin out with seven minutes to go; Albuquerque subsequently ran down Taylor on the last lap of the race but was unable to make the pass, losing by 0.671 seconds.
Highlights FIA WEC (LMP2): Champion (2019–20) 24 Hours of Le Mans: LMP2 Winner (2020) European Le Mans Series: Champion (2020) Race of Champions: Winner (2010) Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: Champion (2006) Formula Renault 2.0 NEC: Champion (2006) 24 Hours of Daytona: Overall winner (2018 and 2021), GTD Winner (2013) Italian GT Championship – GT3: 3rd (2010) Blancpain Endurance Series – GT3 Pro Cup : 3rd (2011) North American Endurance Cup: Champion (2017)
Racing record
Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position 2005 Formula Renault 2.0 Germany Motopark Oschersleben 14 4 6 5 8 273 3rd Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Motopark Academy 14 0 0 0 2 63 5th Spanish Formula 3 Championship Racing Engineering 12 1 1 0 3 52 6th 2006 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Motopark Academy 14 4 4 1 4 99 1st Formula Renault 2.0 NEC 14 4 2 1 10 312 1st 2007 Formula Renault 3.5 Series Epsilon Euskadi 17 1 0 1 2 81 4th GP2 Series Racing Engineering 2 0 0 0 0 0 32nd Arden International 2 0 0 0 0 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Portugal 8 0 0 0 3 59 11th 2008 Formula Renault 3.5 Series Epsilon Euskadi 4 0 0 0 0 12 21st 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Portugal 14 1 0 2 6 92 3rd 2009 Italian GT Championship Audi Sport Italia 2 1 0 0 2 34 18th International Superstars Series 2 0 0 0 2 30 11th 2010 Italian GT Championship Audi Sport Italia 14 2 1 1 9 144 2nd International Superstars Series 2 1 0 0 1 20 13th 2011 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Rosberg 10 0 0 0 1 9 12th Blancpain Endurance Series Belgian Audi Club Team WRT 5 0 1 0 3 74 3rd Italian GT Championship Audi Sport Italia 2 2 1 1 9 30 13th 2012 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Rosberg 10 0 0 0 0 26 11th Blancpain Endurance Series Belgian Audi Club Team WRT 1 0 0 0 1 15 20th Global RallyCross Championship Pastrana 199 Racing 1 0 0 0 0 1 24th 2013 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Rosberg 10 0 0 0 0 16 18th Rolex Sports Car Series – GTD Audi Sport Customer Racing/AJR 3 1 0 0 1 74 23rd FIA GT Series Belgian Audi Club Team WRT 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC International GT Open – GTS 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC International GTSprint Series MTM Motorsport 2 0 0 0 2 36 27th 2014 European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Jota Sport 5 1 4 1 3 74 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest 2 0 0 0 0 8 12th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP1 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF United SportsCar Championship – GTD Flying Lizard Motorsports 2 0 0 0 0 57 42nd 2015 European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Jota Sport 5 1 4 1 3 74 3rd FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest 2 0 0 0 0 24 12th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP1 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th United SportsCar Championship – PC Starworks Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 27 33rd 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 RGR Sport by Morand 9 2 1 0 7 166 2nd 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 10th Italian GT Championship Audi Sport Italia 12 2 1 1 6 126.5 3rd Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Belgian Audi Club Team WRT 4 0 0 0 1 19 16th IMSA SportsCar Championship – Prototype Action Express Racing 4 1 0 0 2 88 18th 2017 European Le Mans Series – LMP2 United Autosports 6 2 0 0 3 98 2nd 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 4th IMSA SportsCar Championship – Prototype Mustang Sampling Racing 4 1 0 1 3 126 13th FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 Vaillante Rebellion 1 0 0 0 1 18 22nd 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship – Prototype Mustang Sampling Racing 9 2 0 0 2 249 6th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 United Autosports 5 2 0 0 3 53.5 6th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF Stock Car Brasil Full Time Sports 1 0 0 0 1 0 NC† 2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPi Mustang Sampling Racing 10 1 0 0 2 258 7th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 United Autosports 5 1 2 0 2 63 6th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 4th 2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 United Autosports 8 4 4 0 6 190 1st 2020 European Le Mans Series – LMP2 United Autosports 5 3 4 0 5 109 1st 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 1 1 0 1 N/A 1st IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPi Whelen Engineering Racing 3 0 0 0 1 80 19th 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPi Konica Minolta Acura 11 3 3 0 7 3396 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 United Autosports USA 5 2 2 1 2 84 5th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 18th 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPi Konica Minolta Acura 10 4 3 1 5 3346 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 United Autosports USA 6 0 1 0 0 50 9th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 10th Stock Car Brasil Eurofarma RC 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC† 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTP Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport 9 0 2 1 3 2712 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 United Autosports 5 1 1 1 2 78 8th 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP210000N/A11th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Pro-Am United Autosports USA 1 0 0 0 1 15 19th2023–24 Asian Le Mans Series – LMP2 99 Racing20200218th 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTP Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti 9 1 1 1 2 2550 6th IMSA SportsCar Championship – LMP2 United Autosports USA 1 0 0 0 0 292 41st European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Pro-Am United Autosports 1 0 0 0 0 8 15th 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTP Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing 9 0 0 0 3 2626 6th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Nielsen Racing 6 0 1 0 1 46 5th 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTP Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing 9 1 0 0 2 2448 11th † As Albuquerque was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Germany/NEC results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DC Points 2005 Motopark OscherslebenOSC1OSC2HOC1HOC2SAC1SAC2ASS1ASS2NÜR1NÜR2OSC1OSC2LAU1LAU2OSC1OSC2 3rd 273 2006 Motopark AcademyOSC1OSC2SPA1SPA2NÜR1NÜR2ZAN1ZAN2OSC1OSC2ASS1ASS2AND1AND2SAL1SAL2 1st 312
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearTeam12345678910111213141516PosPoints 2005 Motopark AcademyZOL1ZOL2VAL1VAL2LMS1LMS2BIL1BIL2OSC1OSC2DON1DON2EST1EST2MNZ1MNZ2 5th 63 2006 Motopark AcademyZOL1ZOL2IST1IST2MIS1MIS2NÜR1NÜR2DON1DON2LMS1LMS2CAT1CAT2 1st 99Source:
Complete Spanish Formula Three Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 DC Points 2005 Racing Engineering A JAR1 JAR2 VAL1 VAL2ALB EST1 EST2 ALB1 ALB2VAL1VAL2 JER1 JER2 CAT1 CAT2 6th 41
Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)