Kelvin van der Linde to compete for ABT CUPRA in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Kelvin van der Linde will make his debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the second race weekend of the season: the 26-year-old South African will replace regular driver Robin Frijns in the number 4 race car from the two races in Diriyah (Saudi Arabia) onward as Frijns has to take a break for the time being following an injury to his hand.

“We are in constant contact with Robin and wish him a speedy recovery. Even though everyone in the team misses him a lot, we’re giving him all the time he needs to fully recover from the injury – that’s our absolute priority,” says team boss Thomas Biermaier. “Kelvin has been part of the ABT family for years in a variety of roles. He has been involved since the beginning of our comeback project and was intended as a reserve driver right from the start, so it was immediately clear to us that he would take over Robin’s cockpit. The task and challenge for him to start in a World Championship race without any testing is of course gigantic. But Kelvin is highly motivated, works hard and the whole team will support him without any pressure.”

 “To compete in Formula E is a dream of mine – but of course I wanted the circumstances of my debut to be different. I’m very sorry for Robin and I hope he’ll be fit again quickly,” says Kelvin van der Linde. “I am happy about the trust and the challenge and I will do my best to stand in for Robin as well as possible.”

The youngster already got a taste of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2020 when he completed a rookie test day in Marrakesh. The two races in Saudi Arabia will be held on January 27 and 28 in Diriyah, starting at 8 p.m. local time on both days.