24-year-old Fgani Angelo Salubre claims ProAm P1 at Portimão on his rookie debut weekend
PORTIMÃO, PORTUGAL — 19 April 2026 — In a historic moment for Philippine motorsport, 24-year-old Fgani Angelo Salubre has become the first Filipino driver ever to win a class in the GT Cup Open Europe, claiming ProAm P1 in Round 1 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve — in his first ever race weekend in the series.
Racing for Hans Weijs Motorsport in a Porsche 992.1 GT3 Cup, partnered with Belgian co-driver Lars Zaenen, Salubre qualified P2 in ProAm class and crossed the line second — then was promoted to P1 following stewards' review of an incident involving the race winner. The classified result stands: first Filipino class winner in the series' history, in a grid of 19 cars and six manufacturers.
Born in Davao City in 2002, Salubre built his racing foundation in Singapore karting before moving alone to Milan at 19 to pursue product design studies. His transition to GT machinery came through the Ligier JS Cup France in 2025 with XP Racing, before stepping up to GT Cup Open Europe this season.
Salubre's long-term ambition is the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship — with the ultimate goal of becoming the first Filipino driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Five more rounds remain in the 2026 season: Spa-Francorchamps (May), Misano, Paul Ricard, Monza, and Barcelona (October finale).
Born 2002 in Davao City, Fgani Angelo Salubre is a Filipino professional racing driver based in Milan, Italy. He races for Hans Weijs Motorsport in the 2026 GT Cup Open Europe ProAm class, with the long-term goal of representing the Philippines at Le Mans and Daytona. He is the first Filipino driver ever to take a class victory in GT Cup Open Europe.