Kelvin van der Linde dominates at will at the Nürburgring – Why the race was still “very difficult” for the Abt Audi driver and what worries he had
Pole position, fastest race lap and a dominant victory: Kelvin van der Linde had his rivals under control in the first DTM race at the Nürburgring on Saturday. But the race was not as easy as it looked for the Abt Audi driver in the Eifel rain. Boredom? Not at all! “It was very difficult,” admits van der Linde.
“And above all, when you have such a big gap, it obviously looks stupid if you then crash,” says the new overall DTM leader on ran, talking about his worries. In fact, the drive to victory was like riding on a knife-edge. “I just tried to drive very calmly. That was a real challenge, I have to say.”
It was not easy to control the pace at the front of the field, reveals the happy Nürburgring winner. “I tried to push, because if you relax too much, it’s usually easier to make a mistake,” says the third-placed driver in the 2021 DTM season.
Van der Linde “felt comfortable ”
In the end, van der Linde also managed to set the fastest race lap and complete the “triple” of pole position, fastest lap and victory, although he did not come under any pressure from the competition in the final phase of the race.
“I felt very comfortable, and it helps when your engineer always tells you that you have a good pace,” said Saturday’s winner, thanking his race engineer and buddy Leon Wippersteg. “It allows you to ride a little more freely and with less pressure, and that makes a big difference.”
Why has the former hotshot suddenly become so relaxed? “I think it’s the gray hair,” laughs the Abt Audi driver. “That’s part of the experience. I’m a calmer Kelvin than I was back then.” However, he did not miss out on a proper victory celebration with the fans. “I promised donuts before the weekend, so I had to deliver. “
Abt-Audi driver not flawless
Kelvin van der Linde, who has won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring twice, knows from his own experience the special characteristics of the Eifel. “These races are difficult, especially at the Nürburgring, where it sometimes rains more, sometimes less,” recalls the Abt Audi driver.
“There were phases of the race when the track was almost completely dry, and then it rained a little more on one lap,” reports the 28-year-old, who allowed himself a small mistake in the first half of the race. “I braked more or less at the same braking point and narrowly missed in turn one, but luckily there was a bit of a run-off and nothing too dramatic.”
This was not the only situation in the race that set the South African-born driver’s pulse racing. When the first drivers came in for their pit stop, they drove back onto the track directly in front of the 28-year-old’s Audi. He “was lucky this time that I had a small gap to the guys behind me, so I didn’t have to take any risks when overtaking. ”
“But yes, of course, these are the moments when you just try to survive and not do anything stupid,” says van der Linde, alluding to the fact that victory was never certain until the chequered flag, despite the big lead. “It wasn’t a relaxed race, but a race with less drama than I expected. “
Van der Linde hopes for rain on Sunday
“Surprisingly, there was also no safety car or caution period,” said the Abt Audi driver, praising the discipline of the entire field. “Normally the DTM has some of the craziest races in these conditions, so it was quite a surprise that there was no safety car today. “
What the Abt Audi driver didn’t know was that he didn’t have to fear a final attack from his title rival Mirko Bortolotti. “Kelvin was unbeatable today, which is why second place was very important today,” ”Just as we had to fight against him, so did everyone else.”
No wonder van der Linde is hoping for another wet race on Sunday after the successful Nürburgring Saturday. “I’ve been doing a rain dance for the last four weeks, which has already helped,” he grins. “Let’s hope it stays that way.” A wish that could come true – because rain showers are not out of the question on Sunday either.
