Albuquerque and his team-mates in the #10 Acura ARX-06, Ricky Taylor, Brendon Hartley and Louis Deletraz, almost completed a sensational comeback as they recovered from three laps down to challenge for victory in the final hours of the IMSA SportsCar championship season-opener.
But after making his way ahead of the two Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillacs to take second, the Portuguese driver was unable to find a way past the race-leading MSR Acura of Tom Blomqvist, who went to claim the team's second consecutive Daytona victory by just over four seconds in the first race of the new LMDh cars. Industrial Hosing
PLUS: How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
Reflecting on WTR's agonising near miss, Albuquerque said he knew that the #10 Acura was not as optimised for the run to the flag as its MSR counterpart
"When I was about to get in the car for the final stint, I could see Louis struggling with pace," Albuquerque told Autosport.
"We did a change on the car when we had the oil problem that was not paying off during the day, even though it was working fine in the night.
"I knew I would struggle compared to the other Acura, and it was exactly like that. They were more dialled in, more in shape.
"At one point we were three laps down, then so many yellows happened and we could get back in the fight, so I kept believing, but knowing that Shank would be the car to beat. They had a better car."
The WTR car dropped three laps off the lead in the night when both Acuras started experiencing oil flush issues that required regular top-ups at pitstops, but the #10 machine needed a trip to the garage to replace an oil filler bracket after the filler hose dropped down inside the chassis.
#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-06: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Louis Deletraz, Brendon Hartley
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Further time was lost due to a penalty for working on the car on pit road while the pits were closed.
Following a morning stretch of green-flag running that lasted almost six hours, a sequence of cautions starting with around three hours to go allowed the WTR car to claw its way back on to the lead lap.
Asked if he felt that MSR had an edge on pace from the outset, Albuquerque replied: "Going into the race, no, because we had our ups and downs. There was one point where we gained 40 seconds on them. We were there.
"Now in the pitstops with the minimum time, we can do more things on the car. We tried to trim it down but it got stuck and we couldn’t change it. So it was little things like that which meant we were not perfect."
For his part, Blomqvist admitted to uncertainty about keeping Albuquerque at bay for the closing stages after seeing the WTR Acura get back on the lead lap and emerge as MSR's strongest competitor.
But the Anglo-Swedish driver, who shared driving duties with Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, said he was confident the team had been able to optimise its set-up for the crucial run-in.
"I was confident I had the edge over the Cadillacs and Porsches, but the other Acura was the big question mark, so I was a little bit nervous when Filipe got into second," Blomqvist told Autosport.
"I knew if he saw an opportunity he would take it. It was all about the restarts, and these new tyres are so hard when they are cold, so there are always some hairy moments trying to manage that. But I just felt really good in the car.
"Understanding how to get the most of these complex cars with all the tools we have and the hybrid element is important, and I think I was able to understand that quite well and get the car set up in a good way."
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
HPD boss "amazed" by GTP reliability on debut at Daytona 24 Hours
New fuel tipped to be "key factor" in 2023 Super GT title battle
New fuel tipped to be "key factor" in 2023 Super GT title battle New fuel tipped to be "key factor" in 2023 Super GT title battle
Super GT releases 42-car entry list for 2023 season
Super GT releases 42-car entry list for 2023 season Super GT releases 42-car entry list for 2023 season
The 2021 disappointment fuelling a Super Formula title hopeful
The 2021 disappointment fuelling a Super Formula title hopeful The 2021 disappointment fuelling a Super Formula title hopeful
Albuquerque urges IMSA to wait before making GTP BoP tweaks
Albuquerque urges IMSA to wait before making GTP BoP tweaks Albuquerque urges IMSA to wait before making GTP BoP tweaks
Acura aces hope Daytona 24 1-2 changes Honda's Le Mans outlook
Acura aces hope Daytona 24 1-2 changes Honda's Le Mans outlook Acura aces hope Daytona 24 1-2 changes Honda's Le Mans outlook
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Daytona 24 Hours
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Daytona 24 Hours Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Daytona 24 Hours
Complexity of hybrid LMDh cars prompted WTR-Andretti IMSA tie-up
Complexity of hybrid LMDh cars prompted WTR-Andretti IMSA tie-up Complexity of hybrid LMDh cars prompted WTR-Andretti IMSA tie-up
Wayne Taylor Racing partners with Andretti Autosport in IMSA
Wayne Taylor Racing partners with Andretti Autosport in IMSA Wayne Taylor Racing partners with Andretti Autosport in IMSA
Acura sitting out 2023 Le Mans "hurts" for Albuquerque
Acura sitting out 2023 Le Mans "hurts" for Albuquerque Acura sitting out 2023 Le Mans "hurts" for Albuquerque
Vettel could be option for surprise Aston Martin F1 return
Vettel could be option for surprise Aston Martin F1 return Vettel could be option for surprise Aston Martin F1 return
Video: The key talking points from day three of F1 testing
Video: The key talking points from day three of F1 testing Video: The key talking points from day three of F1 testing
AlphaTauri sale decision down to shareholders, says Marko
AlphaTauri sale decision down to shareholders, says Marko AlphaTauri sale decision down to shareholders, says Marko
What we learned on the final day of F1 testing in Bahrain
What we learned on the final day of F1 testing in Bahrain What we learned on the final day of F1 testing in Bahrain
How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king
How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king How Porsche's Daytona hiccups evoked the premiere of its Group C king
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut
The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut
Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return
Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return
Hose Clamps How Porsche and Penske are gearing up for sportscar racing's bold new era