DTM title contender Kelvin van der Linde will remain with Abt Sportsline for the 2022 DTM season.
Van der Linde joined the German outfit for his maiden DTM season this year and remains in contention to take the 2021 title at this weekend’s season finale at the Norisring.
In the 14 starts he has made in the series so far, he has scored four victories and an additional podiums, leaving him with 192 points and second in the standings behind Liam Lawson with two races left to run.
“I’m super happy to let you know that I have extended my partnership with Abt for another DTM season in 2022,” Van der Linde wrote on his social media. “I feel at home here and have the full support of everyone which makes it a no brainer to continue our journey for more wins and hopefully championships too!”
The South African also paid tribute to departing team-mate Mike Rockenfeller, who will depart the Audi DTM stable after fifteen seasons.
“At the same time I want to thank Mike for being a great team mate, all round it’s been a pleasure sharing the garage with you. I’ve learnt a lot and wish you all the best in the future. Who knows, maybe we meet on track sooner than we think.”
The 25-year-old is in contention to win the DTM title in his debut season in the series, something that has not been done since Nicola Larini’s triumph with Alfa Romeo during the 1996 season.
Were he to defeat Red Bull junior Lawson, he could claim a third major sportscar title in his career, following two ADAC GT Masters championships in 2014 and 2019. He also won the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2017.
