Official DTM 2022 with Abt Sportsline

Motorsport – Magazin.com – Kelvin van der Linde will also compete in the DTM for the Audi customer team Abt Sportsline in 2022. The Kempten race team officially announced this on the sidelines of the season finale at Norisring. This goes hand in hand with Abbots remaining in the traditional series, which this year is based on GT3 regulations for the first time. According to the information received from Motorsports – Magazin.com Abt had already committed himself to the DTM for at least two years prior to the start of the season.

“DTM and Abt – that’s appropriate,” Abt team boss Thomas Biermayer said at a press conference Friday. “We start next season with at least two cars. We are proud that we can continue with Kelvin. The contract was signed recently.”

This means that an important staffing issue has already been clarified before the end of the big season. Van der Linde can now fully focus on the title fight. Before the last two races of the year at the Nuremberg Street Circuit, the 25-year-old finished second in the championship. He is 14 points behind permanent rival and captain Liam Lawson (AF Corse-Ferrari).

Happy Van der Linde: “My ABT buddies are the best in the whole circuit. It’s great to know how things are going next year before the finish. It gives me extra motivation. DTM has exceeded all my expectations. The man is noticed far more than any other racing series I’ve been in. Until now “.

Van der Linde: Strong DTM record in 2021

Van der Linde has risen to his favorite spot in the Audi warehouse in the DTM season so far. In the 14 races, South Africa has celebrated four wins, five podiums and the same number of pole positions. Striking: Van der Linde took all his victories from center stage.

He will start this year alongside DTM newbie Sophia Florsch and Mike Rockenfeller, who has already announced he is leaving Audi after 15 years together. At race weekends in Hockenheim and at Norrisring, opening guest and former Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi has added a fourth Audi R8 LMS GT3 to the ABT lineup.

Van der Linde has repeatedly described his entry into the DTM as a career dream, but had to watch his younger brother Sheldon make his first leap in 2019. Kelvin stayed in the GT Masters until 2020 and Audi Sport used him in pretty much all the important 24-hour races as well In the GT World Challenge. After the end of the factory race in the DTM, he was finally able to upgrade with Abt.

Kelvin van der Linde: One success chases the next

Van der Linde, who lives with his brother Sheldon in Kempten near the Abt team base, can remember the many successes in motorsports. In the first four years of his racing career (2011 to 2014), he won a title every year. It was also successful in Australia and Brazil. He was on the podium at least once at the famous 24 Hours of Daytona, at the Nürburgring and at Spa.

In 2014, van der Linde won the ADAC GT Masters Championship alongside three-time DTM champion and longtime friend Rene Rast. In 2019, van der Linde repeated this success with Patrick Niederhauser for Audi Rutronik. In 2017, Audi was also awarded an overall victory in the 24 Hours race at the Nürburgring.