PORTUGUESE ACE LINES-UP WITH THOMAS SCHOFFLER AT HIS HOME TRACK

Another international racing star is set to join the SUPERSTARSWORLD at Portimao as Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque will be lining-up in the GTSPRINT series on the next 21st of July.

The home racer, based in Coimbra, already cruised to a SUPERSTARS win in 2010 driving a manufacturer-supported Audi RS4 and is now ready to be back in the game in GTSPRINT driving an MTM Audi R8 alongside Thomas Schoffler.

Born in 1985, Albuquerque is a longtime Audi manufacturer driver and is currently committed to the German DTM series, where he campaigns an Audi A5. He also proved quick in open-wheel competition by impressing in the World Series by Renault and the A1GP of Nations where he raced against Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2009.

While preparing for his 2013 return, Filipe stopped by to describe us a lap at Autodromo do Algarve.

"Right after the front straight you get to turn 1, slightly downhill, where the car literally lifts off and is on two wheels, that's pure adrenaline there. Then you immediately go to the outside and up to third and fourth gear. Turn 2 is tough because it can be done flat-out but you need to prepare for turn 3 where the right front can lock under braking.  Then you don't have to open too much because the following corner is blind ad puts you on a good straight where you climb up to the 6th gear. Again down to second gear for the hairpin, which is good for overtaking, and again a small straight leading to a flat-out left bend. Turn 7 is similar to 2 and 3. It's uphill and blind so you need to have good memory. Then you go right and then left downhill for turn 9. Turn 10 is the most technical, you have to put the weight on the outside and then start braking, it's hard work for the tires. In you enter the penultimate turn too quick there's a big risk to go off the kerb while in the final part you just push harder than possible to be fast on the final straight.