With just over an hour to go in the Motul Petit Le Mans, the championship fight appears to be over. With the two primary contenders left in the race running second and third behind Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, it was shaping up to be a replay of 2021 between Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport.
Pipo Derani in the No. 31 Cadillac was leading Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Acura. Heading into Turn 1, Albuquerque juked left to pass, got alongside Derani, but was running out of room at the exit. Minor contact between the two cars sealed Albuquerque’s fate, and the Acura sailed off track and into the tire barrier, finished for the event. Albuquerque was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
The pain exhibited on team principal Wayne Taylor’s face was palpable as the team lost its fourth championship in a row after coming into the finale in a virtual dead heat.
Race control deemed the crash a racing incident and took no action. Derani and Alexander Sims will claim the championship for Whelen Engineering as long as they finish ahead of or within three positions of the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8.