’s has described the primary half of the 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship as “brutal” for himself and team-mate .
The duo has endured a attempting season thus far within the #10 Cadillac V-Sequence.R, failing to complete greater than tenth throughout the opening 4 rounds. It was solely in final month’s Detroit road race that they have been capable of finish their podium drought with a third-place end, persevering with a run of sturdy type for the #10 crew on the Michigan venue.
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A mix of things prevented Albuquerque and Taylor from combating on the entrance this 12 months. A gearbox difficulty pressured them out of the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours, whereas an incident with a GT3 automobile dealt terminal suspension harm to their Cadillac at Laguna Seca.
Additional, the Portuguese-American pair provisionally completed on the rostrum within the Sebring 12 Hours, behind the dominant Porsches, however have been stripped of the end result post-race resulting from a technical infraction.
Albuquerque didn’t maintain again when requested to sum up his marketing campaign thus far within the GTP class, however harassed that the workforce is step by step bridging the hole to the leaders.
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“For the #10 automobile, it has been brutal, I believe that is the phrase for a way the season goes,” he advised Motorsport on the Le Mans 24 Hours.
“We have seen, although, for the reason that starting, a rise of efficiency and of pure lap time; we’re far more there.
“Final 12 months, we had a much bigger hole, particularly to our team-mates within the #31 [Action Express Cadillac].
“I believe we have been aggressive in Daytona. Sadly, we had a problem, which pressured us to retire. In Sebring, we have been the perfect of the remaining in comparison with the Porsches, so it was a podium. Sadly, with a technical infringement which was not a lot efficiency, [we lost that podium] however it’s what it’s.
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“Now we bought a podium. So, we had two races that we weren’t completely satisfied about, which have been Lengthy Seashore and Laguna Seca.
“We’re narrowing down the efficiency [gap]. We did podium in Laguna [with #31] and in Detroit.”
Albuquerque highlighted WTR’s sturdy one-lap tempo in 2026, with the #40 Cadillac shared by and qualifying contained in the top-three in 4 of the 5 rounds and the #10 automobile additionally beginning a robust third at Sebring.
“If you happen to see as effectively, Wayne Taylor Racing has been qualifying within the high three all of the weekends, so it is doing effectively, however we’ve got by no means managed to place each vehicles up there. So, we’re simply narrowing down that factor that we nonetheless will not be able to. However I believe it will possibly change anytime.
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“Doing extra races [like Le Mans] helps the drivers, helps the workforce. Being right here with Jota, with a special philosophy, helps the workforce to be taught the complexity of those vehicles. These days, it’s good to assume that it is not anymore about experience heights, wings and torsion bars.
“We have now a factor about these vehicles, which is settings. Settings can fully change the automobile, and it fully makes the efficiency of the automobile.”
#10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Sequence.R: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens
#10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Sequence.R: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens
Albuquerque and Taylor haven’t received an IMSA race outright for the reason that 2024 Detroit weekend with Acura, whereas WTR itself hasn’t registered a victory because it reunited with Cadillac at first of 2025.
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Within the championship standings, the #10 crew sits thirteenth within the GTP class, simply behind the sister automobile of Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor.
Albuquerque stated he was now specializing in particular person outcomes for the rest of 2026, with any practical probability of securing a maiden IMSA title now gone.
“We’re nowhere within the championship this 12 months. So, to be trustworthy, we go for single occasions; nice outcomes, like podiums, and clearly attempt to get a win,” the 41-year-old stated.
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“Final 12 months, we have been so near getting a win immediately within the fourth race, which was Detroit. We did not handle to get it. So, we had three podiums final 12 months, one this 12 months, so we wish extra podiums.
“For me, personally, I need to be in command of the race. So, I’ve the tempo, I’m going ahead, not wanting on the mirrors. And if a win comes, nice.
“Technique-wise, IMSA can provide a win to you, or America [can]. In IndyCar, typically, loopy methods offer you wins.
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“However above all, I need to have the last word efficiency to win a race outright, similar to, ‘this was the automobile to beat’. That is what I really need.”
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