Audi factory driver Filipe Albuquerque is facing a major challenge on switching from touring car to endurance racing, although his task will no doubt have been made easier by his recent participation in the 4 Hours of Silverstone for JOTA Sport.
The Portuguese will contest his first race in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro diesel hybrid sports car at round two of the FIA WEC, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Saturday, May 3.
Albuquerque has competed for Audi in the DTM for three years and has also clinched a class victory in the 2014 Daytona 24 Hours in the Audi R8 GRAND-AM GT sports car. Since last winter he has been familiarising himself with Audi’s FIA WEC programme, the pinnacle of which is the third round of the championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Albuquerque will be sharing the cockpit of the No.3 R18 e-tron quattro with Marco Bonanomi (Italy) and Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) in the French classic, although Jarvis is not able to be present in Belgium due to Super GT commitments for Audi in Japan.
“I first had to learn 37 switches and their functions – that’s a lot more than in the DTM cockpit,” he notes. “And we’re working together with a much larger number of engineers here because the R18 e-tron quattro is very complex."
When Filipe Albuquerque competes in the R18 e-tron quattro, it significantly differs from anything he is used to. “The TDI power-plant is extremely quiet and the engine speed level much lower than with a gasoline unit,” says the Portuguese. “And the entire hybrid drive with the powerful torque assists us really well in overtaking manoeuvres.”
Welcome to the FIA WEC Filipe!
Fiona Miller (quotes from Audi Sport press release)
