FE rookie Van der Linde about his F1 chances: 'You never know'

The surgery for Robin Frijns lasted six hours. It was on the fractures in his hand and wrist from just under a fortnight ago after his accident during the Mexican e-Prix. Participation in the second and third races of the Formula E season in Saudi Arabia next weekend is impossible for the Dutchman, providing an unexpected opportunity for DTM star Kelvin van der Linde (26).

During his skiing holiday in Austria, Van der Linde watched the Formula E race in Mexico. He too saw Frijns crash into the back of his predecessor in the early stages, but on television, the damage did not seem to be too bad. It only became clear during the evening and night that the Dutchman had been badly injured. "Then all of a sudden at about 2 o'clock in the evening, my phone started ringing like crazy from all different people then I realised ‘okay it’s probably serious'," Van der Linde, who is a reserve and test driver at ABT's Formula E team, told GPblog.

Nerves

On Sunday evening, the call came from the team management: Van der Linde is driving in Saudi Arabia. "To be honest, I was probably more nervous when I got the call on Sunday night after Mexico (then I am now). Because when something like that unexpected happens, naturally you feel unprepared in the first few hours. Now after 6 days of simulator, I feel a bit more prepared. The nerves are still there but not as bad as they were on Sunday."

Van der Linde lives five minutes away from Kempten, Germany, where ABT has their factory. Many hours have been spent behind the wheel of the simulator in recent days, in preparation for the races in Saudi Arabia. "Even though I have experience in Gen 2 Formula E (as a testdriver), everything is so different in Gen 3. Different manufacturers, different systems in place. Felt like I was starting from zero."

First time

Moreover, there is another factor. With a big smile on his face, the South African confirms it: "It sounds crazy but it’s true. I will be driving for the first time in a single-seater race. My whole background has always been touring cars. Starting in the Polo cup in South Africa and always being in the GT3 scene. So it’s going to be interesting, I think I was saying to my brother last night on a phone call, it’s crazy to make your single-seater debut in a World Championship event. It’s a lot of new things waiting for me."

For over a decade, Van der Linde has been racing GT cars. He won the GT Masters championship twice and finished third in the DTM in 2021. "There comes a point in everyone’s life where you want a new challenge, you want to drive a different car and learn to improve yourself as a driver, make yourself more of an all-round driver. This is the perfect opportunity. I knew I would be involved in the team as a reserve driver alongside my other duties and championships. I knew it would be a potential route, and something I wanted to focus on. That it came so soon to be a race situation, I never expected obviously."

Wimbledon

Too high goals are not set by Van der Linde for his debut. "My goal is probably not to finish last! That is the biggest nightmare, to finish last. At the same time, the full grid is full of professional drivers who have been driving in the championship for a long time. You have to have respect for that which I fully do. There’s a big learning curve. Before the first qualifying, there is one hour of practice. It’s like going to Wimbledon and you’ve played squash your entire life. Into the semi-final and final. I think expectations are reserved, I don’t want to make crazy predictions but I will have a good go. I don’t have pressure. The team haven’t put any pressure on me. They know it’s a difficult job. They have said go and enjoy it. Try to help us develop." 

Van der Linde is not saying goodbye to touring cars. He went on to talk about his program in 2023. "There will be a couple of changes in terms of my program. Some parts will stay the same, the intention is to carry on in DTM. But exactly in what kind of constellation it will look like is not yet announced, or let’s say finalised. DTM will probably continue to be my main program for the year, and then looking forward to additional side pieces. Some endurance racing again, Formula E will keep me busy."

Becoming champion in DTM

In any case, Van der Linde would like to follow in his brother's footsteps and win the DTM title himself. "The bar has been set. I came close in 2021, he won last year. Proud that each year we both had a go at the title. Hopefully this year I can step it up again, come back refreshed and motivated," says Van der Linde, who will then also meet brother Sheldon again. "That’s the plan. If you win the championship, naturally you want to defend it.”

With his participation in Formula E, Van der Linde is at least broadening his horizons. Who knows, maybe even Formula 1 is still in it. "You never know. Look at Nyck de Vries, he thought he was done with F1. There is now making his debut. For me, it is far away. I am only making my single seater debut, it’s a long way off but never say never. You never know what happens in 5 years time. If the opportunity comes, you don’t say no. But I am also realistic, at 26 the options for F1 are more and more limited each year."

Proud

In any case, Van der Linde and his brother have ensured that motorsport is alive again in South Africa. "2013, I was probably one of the last ones since Jody Scheckter to try and make an international career. I had to open up a path again for myself to get over here (Europe). With me and my brother over here, we have built up a big following in South Africa but I would say even in Germany as well. It’s nice to see our second home has accepted us and supported us a lot. With us performing in DTM and being present all the time, you see more South Africans coming across, you see a lot more in endurance racing circles, becoming factory drivers. It’s a proud moment for me and him to have the feeling that we opened the path for guys that maybe would not have had the trust to go overseas if there wasn’t an example to follow."