IMSA front-runner Filipe Albuquerque is assured about the way forward for endurance racing, arguing Acura’s determination to droop its LMDh programme doesn’t mark the “downfall” of the GTP class.
Honda’s luxurious automotive model will halt its manufacturing facility participation with the Acura ARX-06 on the finish of the present IMSA season, 9 years after it returned to prototype racing in what was then generally known as the DPi class.
The information will go away simply 4 producers vying for outright honours within the North American championship, with LMDh prototypes from Cadillac, Porsche and BMW battling Aston Martin’s sole LMH automotive.
Albuquerque represented Acura for 4 consecutive seasons between 2021-24, profitable iconic races just like the Daytona 24 Hours and Watkins Glen, and ending runner-up within the championship on a number of events throughout that point.
Whereas admitting that he was “unhappy” to see his former worker leaving the sequence for now, he believes the championship stays in impolite well being, citing the opportunity of new producers becoming a member of the GTP class within the coming years.
“I do not see all of it as a downfall,” the Portuguese informed Motorsport.com. “4 producers continues to be nice. We have to agree that 10 producers or 11 producers general just isn’t regular. It is the height of the height of all occasions.
“Not even after we speak about 1990, when most producers had been concerned [we saw such grids] – and that was only for one yr.
“We have been seeing [multiple] producers concerned for 5 years now, and that is nice. It is simply not as a result of one leaves. That’s the factor, as a result of extra producers are nonetheless becoming a member of. So McLaren, Genesis and Ford are trying ultimately with a regulation to do Daytona or IMSA. It makes whole sense, particularly for Ford to do it, or McLaren, as they’ve the IndyCar programme there.
“So possibly 2027 is 4, however you’ll be able to see 2027 and 2028 with seven producers, which is greater than ever. Once more, I do not see a fall by any means on endurance racing in America in any respect.”
#101 Cadillac WTR Cadillac V-Collection.R: Filipe Albuquerque
Picture by: Nikolaz Godet
Eight producers are at the moment contesting the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship this yr, with Porsche’s determination to go away the sequence to concentrate on IMSA compensated by the arrival of Genesis.
The Hypercar class is about to be boosted additional subsequent yr by the arrival of latest entries from Ford and McLaren, each of that are at the moment engaged on their new LMDh prototypes.
However whereas the WEC continues to get pleasure from wholesome grids, IMSA has struggled compared to entice new entries. Genesis has deferred a parallel programme in IMSA till 2028 on the earliest, whereas Ford and McLaren have but to offer a particular timeline a couple of potential assault on the GTP class.
Requested if he was assured that these producers would ultimately be part of IMSA, Albuquerque added: “I do know that the American marketplace for McLaren and Ford is big.
“I simply got here out of an interview with Michelin. It is the identical tyres and the identical automotive [as WEC]. Doing an additional programme does not imply the price doubles in any respect.
“You get the protection of a fantastic marketplace for promoting automobiles; in any case, that is what we’re doing right here.
“I do not wish to level fingers, however for those who might work it higher, there could be no clashes [between WEC and IMSA], and [teams] might use among the mechanics and among the engineers to be on each ends. So I see with nice eyes, the way forward for IMSA, the way forward for WEC and endurance racing.”
Pressed additional as to why new producers are selecting to affix WEC first earlier than planning a future IMSA undertaking, he stated: “I do not know, I feel it goes all the way down to inner advertising, inner plans.
“It’s arduous for me to know, particularly from the Ford aspect, I feel it is a shock for me.
“If I’d go racing, I want to race at residence. However I do know they may be part of quickly. I hope they may be part of quickly.”
Acura is the second main producer to ‘pause’ its GTP programme after Lamborghini made the identical determination on the finish of its second season with the SC63 in 2025.
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