ABT Driver Kelvin van der Linde Leading the Pack as DTM Heads to Sachsenring

[source: ABT Sportsline]

In the battle for the DTM title, ABT Sportsline will have to adjust to a compact schedule next weekend: For the first time since the start of the GT3 era in the DTM, there will only be one free practice session on Friday. The second free practice session, qualifying and the race at the Sachsenring on Saturday will then be a real rollercoaster ride.

With a victory at the Nürburgring, ABT driver Kelvin van der Linde has reclaimed the lead in the drivers’ standings. He travels to the Sachsenring with a seven-point lead over Mirko Bortolotti.

Hans-Jürgen Abt: “We were always very strong as a team at the Sachsenring”

The 3.645-kilometre race track near Chemnitz is considered one of the most demanding on the DTM calendar, where ABT Sportsline has already celebrated many important victories. “In 1999, we achieved the first victory for a private team in the then German Super Touring Car Championship with the Audi A4 quattro,” recalls Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group. “That was an important milestone for our team. I also have fond memories of Laurent Aiello’s victory on the way to the first DTM title in 2002. The same goes for our successes with the Audi R8 in the ADAC GT Masters. We’ve always been very strong as a team at the Sachsenring.”

Martin Tomczyk: “Great race track, great event”

“We always enjoy coming to the Sachsenring,” says ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk. “It’s a great race track, which suits our car very well in terms of the track characteristics and also appeals to the drivers. Overall, it’s a great event with a good spectator turnout. The DTM is incredibly close and evenly matched this year. It will be no different at the Sachsenring. Nevertheless, our goal is to defend the championship lead with Kelvin.”

The former DTM champion is not worried about the more compact format: “Of course, the changed schedule has had a slight impact on our preparation. But the ADAC communicated this early on and gave the teams enough time to prepare. For me, this is a good first step in the right direction to see if we can compress a DTM race weekend a little in the future.”

Kelvin van der Linde: “Sachsenring is my favourite track on the DTM calendar”

ABT driver Kelvin van der Linde is the record winner of the ADAC GT Masters at the Sachsenring with five victories and is now travelling there for the first time as the DTM championship leader. “Of course, it feels good to come to the Sachsenring as championship leader,” he says. “But we know that doesn’t mean much and that it’s important to be at the front at the end of the season. That’s why we look from race to race and continue to work just as focussed as before. The Sachsenring is my favourite track on the DTM calendar. It challenges you as a driver to really push yourself to the limit, especially in the second sector with the really fast sections. You have to take some risks there in order to put in a perfect lap. Especially with our Audi. My feeling is that we have an averagely good package everywhere this year, but it doesn’t really stand out anywhere. Our strength is consistency.”

Ricardo Feller: “The Sachsenring has a good flow”

“The Sachsenring has a good flow,” says Ricardo Feller, who crossed the finish line in third place in Sunday’s race last year, but subsequently lost the podium due to a controversial time penalty. “My goal was actually to finish on the podium again this year. But to be honest, I don’t understand what’s going on at the moment. I hope we’ll get rid of the problems we’re currently having at some point and the good results will come back.”

ProSieben will be broadcasting live from the Sachsenring on Saturday and Sunday from 1 PM CEST. There will also be DTM highlights on Red Bull TV on Sunday at 4:30 PM.

The two ABT drivers about the Sachsenring

What is particularly important at the Sachsenring?

Kelvin: “Because there are so many fast corners, overtaking is extremely difficult. That’s why qualifying is the most important of the year apart from the Norisring – and it’s difficult to get the tyres perfectly up to temperature for the first sector because the first and second corners are right-handers and the rest of the track consists of left-handers.”

Ricardo: “It’s particularly important to have a stable car at high speeds. Nevertheless, we have two very slow corners where the car has to rotate well. But mainly you gain or lose time at high speed.”

Where can you overtake at the Sachsenring?

Ricardo: “You can drive side-by-side in sector one – I think that could be exciting.”

Kelvin: “Most likely with the right strategy at the pit stop.”

Which section do you like best as drivers?

Ricardo: “I like the high-speed sections best.”

Kelvin: “As I said, the fast corners. You really have to go to the limit there.”

Where would you sit as a spectator?

Kelvin: “Somewhere in the second sector. That’s where I watched the MotoGP with ProSieben commentator Eddie Mielke last year. The second sector is just mega and the fast corners are fantastic.”

Ricardo: “There’s a grandstand in the first sector from where you can see the entire first sector. I think it’s pretty cool to see the cars there.”

Did you know that …

… two sporting heroes from the region, Olympic discus throwing champion Lars Riedel and DFB Cup winner Xaver Schlager from RB Leipzig, will be guests of ABT Sportsline and Schaeffler at the Sachsenring?

… Lars Riedel is particularly looking forward to travelling to the Sachsenring from Kempten in an ABT RS6 together with ABT Sports Marketing Director Harry Unflath?

… Kelvin van der Linde does not wish for rain at the Sachsenring despite his recent winning streak in wet races?

… Kelvin van der Linde will be a guest at the Schaeffler Brand Home on Friday at 5:30 PM?

… the two ABT drivers will only be at the racetrack from midday on Friday due to the compact schedule?

… the success at the Nürburgring was the 77th victory for ABT Sportsline in the DTM?

… Kelvin van der Linde overtook Laurent Aiello with his sixth DTM victory?

… only Mattias Ekström and Nico Müller have won more DTM races for ABT Sportsline than the current DTM championship leader?

… Kelvin van der Linde won the ADAC GT Masters title early at the Sachsenring in 2019?