24h Le Mans
In yesterday’s live Instagram interview, driver of the United Autosports #22 Oreca 07-Gibson Filipe Albuquerque expressed his feelings about the team’s class win in LMP2, the hyperpole session and the demands of endurance racing.
“I’ve taken part in the race in LMP1 and LMP2 but I had never been on the podium. It was a dream come true, it was fantastic, although I missed the fans gathered beneath the podium. So, now, I need to do it again, this time with the fans.”
“It was pretty much the same. Driving at night isn’t harder. All drivers enjoy that part of the race. These days, headlights are so good that visibility is fine. What made it easier than expected is that we didn’t get the rain and the storms that were forecast.”
“I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline or what, but I didn’t feel tired. I felt much better after the race because I was super, super tense. In the past, I have done the last stints. This year, because I didn’t do the last two stints, I could only watch and depend on my teammate Phil Hanson. I knew he was capable of doing the job but i’s always nerve-wracking cheering on a team that you love. It was a long last hour. I was relieved when it was over, the tension dissipated and I could sit down and relax.”
“It’s fantastic. I’d like to do it one day because Paul Di Resta took the wheel this year. In this session you see the full potential of the cars and drivers. Even though the race doesn’t depend on it, we all want to start in pole position.”
“The secret is unity. The group is amazing. We trust each other and we don’t leave anything left unsaid. Everyone does a great job and loves what they do. We enjoy racing. All that together, it makes all the difference. In the end, these are machines, but the human side is just as important.”
"Physically it is demanding. Normally, I sleep well during races but this time, I don’t know why, I found it harder to get to sleep. In general, you have to be rested for your brain to function correctly. It’s hard to make decisions when you’re tired. When you’re doing 320 kph, if you brake half a second too late, you’re 20 metres further on and 20 metre further on... is the tyre wall. These cars are made to go flat out all the time, there’s no letting up, so yes, it’s demanding.”
“There are 24 cars on the grid, which shows that it’s a category that works well and attracts competitors. The prototypes are fast. Several teams clocked 03:24 or 03:25 in qualification. They are also very agile, as you can see in fast corners like the Porsche Curves. Their top speed is 325 kph, which is very impressive. They are really good fun to drive.”
Watch the whole Q&A session with Flipe Albuquerque on Instagram @24 Heures du Mans
