Van der Linde Unconcerned by DTM “Curve Balls”

Photo: Gruppe C Photography

Kelvin van der Linde says the DTM “throws curve balls every weekend” and is therefore “not particularly worried” about his tricky start to the season at the Red Bull Ring opener last month.

The South African returned to the series for the first time since 2024 this year, with the current campaign also marking his first in the category at the wheel of a Schubert Motorsport-run BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Van der Linde enjoyed an all-conquering 2025 season during which he won the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and Intercontinental GT Challenge titles as he spent a year away from the DTM.

However, the start to his latest DTM bid, having finished runner-up in the 2024 standings at the wheel of Audi machinery, was not ideal at the Red Bull Ring.

He retired from the first race but then qualified on pole for the second contest, only to slip back to sixth in the latter stages.

Nevertheless, van der Linde remained confident of turning his fortunes around, starting at the second event at Zandvoort this weekend.

“I’ve known DTM so long, I’ve had years where I’ve led the season by 40 points at halfway and then lost the championship,” he told Sportscar365.

“There’s been other seasons where I’ve been leading the whole year until the last weekend and then lost it.

“To lose a couple of points early is not ideal, but that championship throws curve balls every weekend, so I’m not particularly worried.”

Van der Linde is already 31 points adrift of Maro Engel, who grabbed the early championship lead after taking a win and a third in his Winward Racing-run Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo at the Red Bull Ring.

But the BMW driver said there were still “positives” to take from the “mixed” Austrian event.

“I had a very difficult build-up with the pre-season as I had some issues with my car,” he explained.

“Leading up to the race weekend itself, I also had some issues in FP1 so to have got pole position on Sunday was a really nice feeling because we managed to salvage something that we didn’t expect was in it.

“And, in the race, it worked out the way it did. It was not ideal but I think it gives me motivation we’re able to be at the sharp end.

“The build-up was tough and, considering all of that, I was very happy with the performance in qualifying but we need to work on the finer details that are demanded in the DTM to have the full package.

“There are certain things new on the BMW compared to the Audi [he raced in the series] a few years ago, but it gives me confidence already being so competitive in the first round that it can only get better.”

Source: Sports Car 365