The first part of the jigsaw for Audi Sport’s FIA WEC plans has fallen into place this morning.
Filipe Albuquerque, after three years in touring cars, is joining both the LMP and GT programmes for Audi Sport.
The 28-year-old Portugese Audi factory driver will start his season next weekend in the Daytona 24 Hours in an Audi R8 LMS for 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 will contest the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
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.”
