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Kelvin van der Linde (born 20 June 1996) is a South African and German[1] sports car racing driver currently competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Abt Sportsline.[2] He is a two-time champion of the ADAC GT Masters, having won the championship in 2014 and 2019, and won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2017 and 2022. He made his formula racing debut in Formula E at the 2023 Diriyah ePrix, driving for ABT Cupra as a substitute for the injured Robin Frijns.[3]
| Kelvin van der Linde | |
|---|---|
 Van der Linde in 2024 | |
| Nationality |  South African German |
| Born | 20 June 1996 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Related to | Etienne van der Linde (uncle) Sheldon van der Linde (brother) |
| Formula E career | |
| Debut season | 2022–23 |
| Current team | ABT CUPRA Formula E Team |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car number | 51 |
| Starts | 5 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 24th in 2022–23 |
| Finished last season | 25th (0 pts) |
| Previous series | |
| 2014–20 2015 2014 2013 2011–2012 2006–2010 | ADAC GT Masters TCR International Series Blancpain Sprint Series Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup Volkswagen Cup South Africa Karting |
| Championship titles | |
| 2014, 2019 2013 2011–2012 2008, 2010 | ADAC GT Masters Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup Volkswagen Cup South Africa South African Karting Championship |
In 2022 he initiated the process for acquiring the German citizenship after living in Kempten, Germany, since 2014.[4] In early 2024 the process was completed.[1]
Racing career
editThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (January 2023) |
Kelvin van der Linde, a South African, started his career in racing in kart racing at the age of eight in 2005.
In 2011, he became the youngest driver to compete in a National South African Circuit event at age 14 and also South Africa’s youngest National Champion at the age of 16 in 2012.
In 2013 he won the International Championship. At the age of 17, van der Linde became the youngest ever winner of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup and became a Volkswagen-supported junior driver for the 2014 season. He became the youngest ADAC GT Masters champion at age 18 driving an Audi R8 LMS Ultra.
In 2015, van der Linde was promoted to Audi factory driver, winning the 2017 24 Hours of Nürburgring and Suzuka 10 Hours.
2021
editIn 2021, van der Linde competed in the 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) for Abt Sportsline. He won four races and finished third in the drivers' championship. Going into the final round of the season, he was fighting for the drivers' championship title with Liam Lawson and Maximilian Götz.
During both of the final races of the Championship at the Norisring, van der Linde had similar incidents with Lawson. In the first race, van der Linde dived down the inside of Liam, with Liam finished in 3rd. In the second race the consequences were much more serious; Lawson's car was damaged in a first-lap collision with van der Linde, who again dived down the inside of Lawson, taking Lawson out of contention for the title as he finished 18th. van der Linde was then given a five-second time penalty as a result. Towards the end of the race, van der Linde suffered a puncture in a battle with Götz and lost his chances to win the title, which eventually went to Götz after Mercedes issued team orders to the cars ahead of the latter to guarantee he finished 1st.
2022
editDays before the final round of the 2021 DTM season, Abt Sportsline confirmed him as their driver for the 2022 season.[5] After finishing ninth in points in 2022, van der Linde returned to the team for 2023.[6]
Formula E
editABT CUPRA Formula E Team (2023–)
edit2022–23 season
editAfter Robin Frijns sustained a hand injury at the 2023 Mexico City ePrix, van der Linde was called upon to replace him at ABT Cupra for the rounds at Diriyah.[7] In his first weekend in single-seater racing, the South African managed to finish 16th during the first race and 18th on Saturday, which he stated gave him a base to build upon for the following event.[8]
2023–24 season
editAs a reserve driver of ABT Cupra, van der Linde returned for the 2024 Berlin ePrix, replacing Nico Müller who missed the event due to clashing commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship.[3]
Racing record
editCareer summary
edit† As van der Linde was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete ADAC GT Masters results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete TCR International Series results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Audi TT Cup | SEP 1 |
SEP 2 |
SHA 1 |
SHA 2 |
VAL 1 |
VAL 2 |
ALG 1 4 |
ALG 2 12† |
MNZ 1 |
MNZ 2 |
SAL 1 |
SAL 2 |
SOC 1 |
SOC 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
MRN 1 |
MRN 2 |
CHA 1 |
CHA 2 |
MAC 1 |
MAC 2 |
21st | 13 |
† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results
edit| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Ovr. Pos. |
Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Prosport-Performance GmbH
|
Fidel Leib Jonas Carlsson Thomas Bolz
|
Porsche Cayman Pro4 | SP6 | 4 | DNF | DNF |
| 2017 | Audi Sport Team Land / Land-Motorsport
|
 Connor De Phillippi Christopher Mies Markus Winkelhock
|
Audi R8 LMS | SP9 | 158 | 1st | 1st |
| 2018 | Audi Sport Team Land
|
Christopher Mies René Rast Christopher Haase
|
Audi R8 LMS | SP9 | 133 | 5th | 6th |
| 2019 | Audi Sport Team Land
|
Christopher Mies René Rast Christopher Haase
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo | SP9 | 139 | DNF | DNF |
| 2020 | Audi Sport Team Land
|
 Mattia Drudi Christopher Mies René Rast
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo | SP9 | 85 | 6th | 6th |
| 2021 | Audi Sport Team Land
|
Christopher Mies René Rast Frédéric Vervisch
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo | SP9 | 47 | DNF | DNF |
| 2022 | Audi Sport Team Phoenix
|
 Robin Frijns Dries Vanthoor Frédéric Vervisch
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo II | SP9 | 159 | 1st | 1st |
| 2023 | ABT Sportsline
|
Marco Mapelli Jordan Pepper Nicki Thiim
|
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | SP9 | 160 | 9th | 7th |
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
edit| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |  Melbourne Performance Centre
|
Garth Tander Frédéric Vervisch
|
Audi R8 LMS | Pro | 241 | 27th | 7th |
| 2019 | Melbourne Performance Centre
|
Garth Tander Frédéric Vervisch
|
Audi R8 LMS | Pro | 181 | DNF | DNF |
| 2020 | Melbourne Performance Centre
|
Mattia Drudi Markus Winkelhock
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo | Pro | 308 | 18th | 11th |
| 2022 | Melbourne Performance Centre
|
 Nathanaël Berthon Brad Schumacher
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Pro-Am | 290 | 4th | 4th |
| 2024 | Melbourne Performance Centre
|
Christopher Haase Liam Talbot
|
Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Pro | 275 | 3rd | 3rd |
Complete Asian Le Mans Series results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Class | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Phoenix Racing | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | DUB 1 3 |
DUB 2 3 |
ABU 1 4 |
ABU 2 3 |
4th | 57 |
Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Abt Sportsline | Audi R8 LMS Evo | MNZ 1 4 |
MNZ 2 1 |
LAU 1 4 |
LAU 2 3 |
ZOL 1 1 |
ZOL 2 8 |
NÜR 1 1 |
NÜR 2 Ret |
RBR 1 5 |
RBR 2 6 |
ASS 1 12 |
ASS 2 4 |
HOC 1 1 |
HOC 2 10 |
NOR 1 4 |
NOR 2 17 |
3rd | 208 |
| 2022 | Team Abt Sportsline | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | ALG 1 4 |
ALG 2 6 |
LAU 1 Ret |
LAU 2 20 |
IMO 1 5 |
IMO 2 13 |
NOR 1 Ret |
NOR 2 Ret |
NÜR 1 2 |
NÜR 2 4 |
SPA 1 5 |
SPA 2 14 |
RBR 1 8 |
RBR 2 Ret |
HOC 1 12 |
HOC 2 5 |
9th | 90 |
| 2023 | Abt Sportsline | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | OSC 1 6 |
OSC 2 Ret |
ZAN 1 12 |
ZAN 2 6 |
NOR 1 21 |
NOR 2 5 |
NÜR 1 8 |
NÜR 2 20 |
LAU 1 3 |
LAU 2 8 |
SAC 1 5 |
SAC 2 13 |
RBR 1 1 |
RBR 2 Ret |
HOC 1 6 |
HOC 2 25 |
8th | 119 |
| 2024 | Red Bull – Team ABT | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | OSC 1 12 |
OSC 2 5 |
LAU 1 1 |
LAU 2 2 |
ZAN 1 13 |
ZAN 2 3 |
NOR 1 6 |
NOR 2 9 |
NÜR 1 1 |
NÜR 2 4 |
SAC 1 8 |
SAC 2 2 |
RBR 1 8 |
RBR 2 5 |
HOC 1 1 |
HOC 2 12 |
2nd | 221 |
Complete Formula E results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Powertrain | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | ABT CUPRA Formula E Team | Formula E Gen3 | Mahindra M9Electro | MEX | DRH 16 |
DRH 18 |
HYD Ret |
CAP WD |
SAP | BER | BER | MCO | JAK | JAK | POR | RME | RME | LDN | LDN | 24th | 0 |
| 2023–24 | ABT CUPRA Formula E Team | Formula E Gen3 | Mahindra M10Electro | MEX | DRH | DRH | SAP | TOK | MIS | MIS | MCO | BER 11 |
BER 15 |
SIC | SIC | POR | POR | LDN | LDN | 25th | 0 |
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Akkodis ASP Team | LMGT3 | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 2UR-GSE 5.0 L V8 | QAT Ret |
IMO 14 |
SPA | LMS 6 |
SÃO WD |
COA 9 |
FUJ 11 |
BHR Ret |
23rd | 18 |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
edit| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Akkodis ASP Team
|
 Timur Boguslavskiy Arnold Robin
|
Lexus RC F GT3 | LMGT3 | 279 | 34th | 7th |
References
edit- ^ a b "RELIVE: Das Qualifying vom Samstag in Oschersleben in voller Länge". ran.de (in German). 14 July 2023.
Interviewer: "Du bist letztes Jahr auch Deutscher geworden, stimmt's?" K.v.d. Linde: "Anfang dieses Jahr, ja."
[Interviewer: "You became a German last year, correct?" K.v.d. Linde: "Early this year, yes."] - ^ "DTM 2024 entry list: Who is driving in the DTM this year?". Autosport. 25 April 2024.
- ^ a b "ABT CUPRA's Van Der Linde Has 'Good Feeling' Ahead Of Formula E Return". The Official Home of Formula E. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Haidinger, Sven. ""Mir fehlt noch der Reisepass": Kelvin van der Linde will Deutscher werden". Motorsport-Total.com (in German).
- ^ "Kelvin van der Linde also in DTM with ABT Sportsline in 2022". ABT Sportsline GmbH. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Feller & Van Der Linde Rejoin ABT For 2023 DTM Season". Dailysportscar. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Van Der Linde To Step In For Frijns At ABT CUPRA". FIA Formula E. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ Golding, Nick (31 January 2023). "Kelvin van der Linde thanks ABT CUPRA for their 'trust and patience' following single-seater debut". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
External links
edit- Kelvin van der Linde career summary at DriverDB.com
- Official website