Filipe Albuquerque Views Acura’s Withdrawal as No Threat to IMSA’s GTP Class

Leading IMSA driver Filipe Albuquerque remains optimistic about endurance racing, stating that Acura’s decision to pause its LMDh program does not signal the downfall of the GTP class.

Honda’s luxury division will end its factory effort with the Acura ARX‑06 at the close of the current IMSA season, concluding a nine‑year tenure that began when the series was called DPi.

The announcement leaves only four manufacturers competing for overall victory in the North American championship, as LMDh prototypes from Cadillac, Porsche, and BMW face off against Aston Martin’s single LMH entry.

Albuquerque drove for Acura across four straight seasons from 2021 to 2024, capturing victories at the Daytona 24 Hours and Watkins Glen and finishing runner‑up in the championship on multiple occasions.

Although he admits feeling sad about his former team’s temporary exit, Albuquerque says the championship is thriving and anticipates new manufacturers joining the GTP class in the near future.

He told Motorsport.com that the situation should not be viewed as a downfall. With four manufacturers still competing, a larger field of ten or eleven would be abnormal; this represents the height of participation in the category.

He notes that even in 1990, when many manufacturers entered, it was only a single‑year occurrence.

He observes that multiple manufacturers have been involved for the past five years, which is positive. The exit of one team does not diminish the trend, as additional entrants such as McLaren, Genesis, and Ford are considering participation under the current regulations, especially Ford and McLaren, who already run IndyCar programs.

He suggests that the field could grow from four entrants in 2027 to seven by 2028, indicating a robust future for American endurance racing.

Acura becomes the second manufacturer to pause its GTP program, following Lamborghini’s similar decision after the end of its second season with the SC63 in 2025.

#101 Cadillac WTR Cadillac V-Series.R: Filipe Albuquerque

Photo by: Nikolaz Godet

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