Filipe Albuquerque finished his weekend at Road America in a frustrating eighth place. The Portuguese driver, behind the wheel of his Cadillac, was hoping for a much better result in the American IMSA endurance championship. His race took a bad turn after contact with another car.
The Coimbra native started the race from seventh on the grid. He showed strong pace early on. He expertly navigated through the field, climbing several positions. He had worked his way up to third place. It looked like he was set for a podium finish.
But then, disaster struck. While running in a prime spot, an opponent made contact with his car. Albuquerque was forced off the track. This incident completely ruined his chances of a top-three finish. The hit essentially ended his shot at glory.
Albuquerque shared his disappointment after the race. “When everything is going well, and it seems like we can turn the game in our favor,” he explained, “something happens to bring us down. We were in the podium places after a difficult weekend. Then a touch occurs that spoils everything.”
He went on to say that even though the other driver received a penalty, it didn’t fix his race. “Our race was automatically spoiled,” he noted. “It was a lost podium, and this eighth place feels bittersweet.” Albuquerque races alongside his American teammate, Ricky Taylor.
Despite the setback, Albuquerque believes he had the winning speed. “We had the same pace as the cars that finished in the top spots,” he said. “We felt we lacked a bit of performance over the weekend. But we were more competitive during the race itself. That leaves us with a positive feeling.” He’s already looking ahead. “Now we just need to focus on the next one,” he added.
The next stop for the IMSA championship is Indianapolis. Race action is set for September 19 to 21.