The weekend didn’t get the perfect start, the car seemed to be off its usual pace, and after a tough qualifying session, Roberto put the car on P14 on the grid.
However, thanks to their relentless work, the G-Drive Racing by Algarve Pro team found and fixed the issue overnight, heading to the 4-hour race with renewed confidence.
John was the starting driver as usual, and the American did not disappoint. He made a stellar getaway and was soon in P11. Unfortunately, he was forced off the track by another competitor which sent him into the gravel at the Lesmo corner. Unhindered by the incident, Falb kept his foot down and handed the car to Rui in P13.
The Angolan driver – who is competing in his first LMP2 season after only three years in single-seaters- was up for the challenge ahead of him. With an impeccable drive, Andrade carved his way up to P6 overall and took the provisional lead in the Pro-Am classification. The 21-year-old from Luanda battled through the traffic and fended off the pressure from behind all the way throughout his 50-lap stint in one of his best drives this season.
It was Roberto’s turn to bring the Aurus 01 car home, and following an impeccable final run, he crossed the line in sixth overall, claiming the #25 squad’s second Pro-AM win of the season, and their fourth podium finish in four races.
With only 2 more rounds to go from the 2021 ELMS season, Rui and his team are now leading the Pro-AM standings with a comfortable 16-point gap.
“What a race!” – Andrade said. “We started P14 after qualifying not going the way we wanted, but the team did a great job overnight and found and fixed something in the car that cost us some pace in the Qualy. We gave our all in the race, John had a mega start and the team did some perfect pit stops throughout the race. The strategy was perfect and I’m super happy with our performance.”
The next round of the ELMS season takes place in two months time in Spa-Francorchamps, but before that, another exciting challenge awaits for Rui: the greatest race in motorsport history, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (Aug 17-22)
