Filipe Albuquerque interview: Pressure management key for Wakefield's United Autosports at 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 39-year-old will be back behind the wheel in the French countryside this weekend, once again representing Wakefield’s United Autosports in the LMP2 class.

Over the course of his glittering career, he has scooped 24-hour race victories in Le Mans and Daytona. He made his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship a decade ago and is among the most seasoned drivers taking to the Le Mans track.

As well as being familiar with the elation of a triumph, Albuquerque is more familiar than most with the potential pitfalls of a race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"In Le Mans, when you lose something, you can never get it back,” he told The Yorkshire Post. “You have a little issue that's nothing to do with you, you're done. You are three-and-a-half minutes down. At this level, you don't recover.

"15 years ago, 20 years ago, winners were getting this with three or four laps advantage and saving the car. Now it's flat out. The difference between pro and amateur, I would say it's a second.”

During time spent with a slick veteran of the track like Albuquerque, it is made abundantly clear how important psychology is for an endurance event as testing as the one he will take on this weekend.

“You need to be relaxed and free your mind,” he said. “Before the race starts, the tension, the responsibility, the months and months of preparation and gathering money to be there, then we choose you to start the race.

"You will hear the noise of the crowd. You will hear the music. Everyone is counting on you, it doesn't matter if you're not feeling right.

"You just have to be focused and prepared, with the pressure of the world and the team is counting on you.”

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Albuquerque has shown his mettle on countless occasions before. His vehicle spun out in the dying embers of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2017 and he still came within a whisker of a win.

Handling pressure is well within his wheelhouse and Le Mans is a circuit he has previously navigated with precision.

Few with sense would bet against United being serious contenders for victory in the LMP2 class and Albuquerque was part of their 2020 Le Mans win.

"It's about managing all that pressure,” he said. “It takes experience. But at the end of the day, it's beautiful. When you put the helmet on, within 30 seconds you are at 350km per hour.

“If you miss the braking point by one metre, it means you cover another 30 metres at that speed and you are in the wall. No mistakes are allowed.”

Amid the splendour and under the weight of pressure, drivers could be forgiven for simply wanting to throw caution to the wind.

Patience, however, is key for Albuquerque as he looks to add to his collection of racing triumphs.

"Experience is very important in Le Mans - knowing when to push, knowing when to back off,” he said. “I think that's the most important one. It's knowing when to back off a little bit because there are times in the race it rains, when there is traffic, you have this urge of 'I've got to go'.

"You have to be patient and hold down your nerves to say it will turn around. Sometimes, that rush can end the race.”