🇵🇹 Rui Pinto de Andrade

Rui Pinto de Andrade is a professional-level sportscar driver rated 4,561, placing him in the professional band; this rating reflects a driver who competed consistently in top-tier endurance racing but did not sustain a winning record or climb to the elite tier. Categorised as FIA Silver, a grading for professional-level drivers in GT and endurance racing usually early in their careers, he raced exclusively in IMSA WeatherTech between 2022 and 2024, posting nine starts with one win and three podium finishes. His average finishing position of ninth across classified races shows he was competitive mid-field; his peak came early, with all three podiums and his sole victory occurring within his first season and early into his second.[1]

In the fields he raced, Andrade showed he could beat established professionals on occasion. He won races outright against professional and semi-professional silver-graded drivers, and in single-race results he finished ahead of much stronger drivers including Eddie Cheever (an elite professional), Rene Rast (a three-time DTM champion and platinum-graded), and Alex Lynn (a GP3 Series champion). Against his most frequent rivals, a mixed picture emerged; he finished ahead of Anders Fjordbach and Russell Ward in most of their shared races, yet consistently lost head-to-head to Devlin Defrancesco and finished even with François Heriau. Against platinum-graded champions Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina, both stronger drivers, he was outpaced overall.[2]

Andrade raced primarily for Lone Star Racing, a five-start team association within his nine appearances. His career shows a brief but competitive run in professional endurance racing without sustained development or progression to higher machinery or championships. He has since retired from racing.