DTM Hockenheim
Does van der Linde’s potential Lamborghini LMDh test hint at his future?
Van der Linde’s contract with Abt is about to expire. Could a potential LMDh test in Bahrain help him land a factory contract with Lamborghini?
Sven Haidinger
Edited: Oct 16, 2024, 12:43 PM
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Kelvin van der Linde has insisted he wants to join a manufacturer that has a Hypercar and GT3 programme so he can continue in the DTM when his Abt contract is up, with a Lamborghini LMDh test a possibility.
The DTM championship contender's future has been the subject of much speculation in 2024, with his two-year contract with Abt Sportsline expiring after this weekend’s final round at Hockenheim, where he will be battling Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti for his maiden title.
Van der Linde has spent much of his professional career racing for Audi, but split with the German marque in 2023 following its decision to terminate its under-development Hypercar programme.
Since then he has become ‘brand neutral’, remaining with Abt Audi in the DTM while adding a new programme in the World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 class with ASP Lexus.
However, he continues to harbour aspirations of racing in top-level prototype machinery, a goal he first set out when Audi announced plans to return to the WEC with an LMDh car. This would most certainly require him to land a factory deal with a manufacturer.
When asked about his future, van der Linde told Motorsport.com's sister title Motorsport-Total.com: "Nothing has been signed, and there are currently a few offers.
“My wish was always to go to a manufacturer that has a Hypercar and a GT3 program because I want to continue to be active in the DTM.
"You can think about which manufacturers there are that have both programs: BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini, and I don't think any others.”
Abt is ending a long-term association with Audi to join forces with Lamborghini in 2025, which could open up new opportunities for van der Linde.
#63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli, Romain Grosjean
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Motorsport.com has learned that the 28-year-old may get an opportunity to sample the Lamborghini SC63 LMDh in next month’s Bahrain WEC rookie test, which would mark his first prototype appearance since a pair of outings in an LMP2 car in the 2021 Asian Le Mans Series.
It’s unlikely this will result in him joining the team in WEC next year, but it would at least mean that a Hypercar programme would be on the table for the future.
This would also allow him to remain in the DTM with Abt, the team he has been racing with since the series switched to GT3 rules in 2021.
Other than Lamborghini, it is understood that van der Linde has two more options. One of those is BMW, whose factory roster already includes his younger brother Sheldon.
Kelvin van der Linde shares a manager with three-time DTM champion Rene Rast, who was also a long-time factory Audi driver prior to his move to BMW in 2023.
When asked about the BMW rumor, Rast grinned and said: "Kelvin at BMW? No idea. We'll have to talk to [our manager] Dennis [Rostek] about what he's up to."
However, Motorsport.com understands that the likelihood of van der Linde moving to BMW is low at the moment.
Similarly, while Cadillac will have an expanded two-car programme with Jota next year, the prospect of sister marque Corvette joining the DTM is implausible.
Toyota could also have been an option as van der Linde races for Lexus in the LMGT3 division, but the Japanese marque has no vacant spots on its Hypercar line-up for 2025.
That leaves Lamborghini as his best bet for a factory programme in 2025.
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