BRASELTON, Fla. — During the first official IMSA sanctioned GTP test at Road Atlanta, Wayne Taylor Racing announced the drivers who will compete at the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque return to full season driving duties in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and will be assisted at the 24-hour endurance battle by Brendon Hartley, who put in a fast and crucial triple stint in the exciting Petit Le Mans season finale.
Two-time 2022 IMSA LMP2 race winner, Louis Delétraz, will bring his talents to the team’s three longest endurance races of the year—Daytona, Sebring, and Road Atlanta.
The four pilots will compete behind the wheel of the all-new, electrified ARX-06 with the aim of achieving a record-tying sixth overall victory for Wayne Taylor Racing in the Rolex 24.
Team owner Wayne Taylor is excited to have an impressive lineup.
“We signed up our third driver, Louis Delétraz who will be doing all of our long-distance races, including Daytona,” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “We are also announcing that we’ll run Brendon Hartley again. As far as Daytona’s concerned, I cannot imagine a better lineup than what we have. It’s going to be a hard race. One of those races where you have to make it to the checkered flag to win the race.
“We’ve won a few of these races—it’s what my team does best, and I just need to make sure that they have all the tools. I couldn’t be happier than having Brendon back and I’ve been watching Louis for a while. He’s got experience. He’s young, but he’s very, very mature and he understands what is needed to be that third driver.”
As championship contenders, Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will be carrying momentum into their third consecutive Rolex 24 as teammates.
“I think personalities are so important,” said Ricky Taylor, two-time IMSA champion. “At this level of motorsport, there are more than a handful of drivers who can perform at the highest level, but it seems that meshing compatible drivers together to extract the most out of the entire group seems to be the most important element in endurance racing. We were lucky to find Filipe, as he is an incredible teammate. Brendon is coming off a pole and win at Le Mans, and a stellar performance in our team at Petit Le Mans. As a driver and team member, he’s world class. The same can be said for Louis, who has already gelled with the team amazingly well. Aside from his obvious results and speed, he will be a valuable addition to the crew”.
Albuquerque shares his thoughts.
“I’m really happy being teammates with Ricky,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “He’s just a star. Such a complete driver and human being. He is so quick behind the wheel and has won a lot. We’ve been fighting closely for the championship each year, and the partnership is working. It is good to have Brendon as my teammate and with Louis on board for the endurance races, we couldn’t be stronger.”
Delétraz, the newest addition to the team come January, is a 25-year-old Swiss open-wheel star and sports car champion.
“This lineup is fantastic,” said Louis Delétraz. “I’m really excited to share the car with such talented drivers. Filipe and Ricky welcomed me to the WTR family straight away and already got me up to speed with everything that’s new ahead of 2023. We get along really well, and they want to win as much as I do. I love that mentality! It’s an honor for me to join WTR and Acura in the pinnacle class of sport cars. After successful years in LMP2 in IMSA and Europe it was my target to be here and I’m very thankful for the opportunity. Joining a team with so much history and success makes the expectations high. I can’t wait to get started.”
Hailing from New Zealand, Hartley, who is already integrated with the team this weekend, is a three-time overall Le Mans winner, two-time World Endurance Championship title winner and former full-time Formula 1 driver with Scuderia Torro Rosso.
“I have really enjoy working with Filipe and Ricky” said Brendon Hartley. “I know Louis from around the paddock and I know he’s fast but also a good guy. I think we have a strong lineup and a team that knows how to win Daytona! The Rolex is always competitive and it’s a race that I respect a lot. It’s not a race that has been kind to me over the years. It’s going to see all the GTP machinery line up on the grid for the first time and I fully expect that we will be fighting for a good result. The electrified Acura ARX-06 has been put through its paces in testing and I think we have all the ingredients to give ourselves a shot at the victory.”