South African racer Kelvin van der Linde has signed with AKKODIS ASP Team for its 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 campaign with Lexus. The 27-year-old will serve as a pro driver in one of the French team’s two factory-supported RC F GT3s in the new LMGT3 class.
The opportunity, van der Linde told RACER, took him by surprise, in the form of a phone call to ask if he was available for a two-day test in the Jerome Policand-owned team’s RC F GT3 at Barcelona earlier this week. He was signed for the 2024 campaign within two days of taking the call.
“Ritomo Miyata was planned for this, but he had clashes so they said they needed a Platinum driver to lead the lineup and they were interested because I was manufacturer-neutral,” he explained. “At that point I wasn’t looking for anything — I was on holiday in South Africa preparing for next season.
“I spoke to my manager, I spoke to them, and the whole contract was sorted in two days. It’s the quickest deal I’ve ever done in my life! I am very thankful.
“I guess our association comes back to ASP vs WRT and that rivalry, as we were always competing together for wins in GT World Challenge. We have been aware of each other, and each other’s strengths, so maybe that’s the reason I’m here?”
The deal for van der Linde adds to his 2024 commitments in DTM with ABT and his Formula E reserve driver role, and will see him compete in the FIA WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time.
“Le Mans is one of the last endurance races I haven’t done,” he said. “I’ve done Bathurst, Nurburgring, Spa and Daytona — it was missing from my bucket list. It wasn’t on the cards at the beginning of the year but things happen. But when Jerome called and said there would be good support from a manufacturer, I knew it was interesting.
“Toyota knows how to succeed in Hypercar, so if that translates into Lexus we will be competitive.”
Signing a factory contract with Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe for WEC feels like the start of a new chapter for van der Linde, whose eight-year stint as an Audi works driver came to an end earlier this year. During that time there were many highlights, including a pair of victories at the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Reflecting on his departure from Audi, van der Linde describes it as “frustrating” and “sad,” particularly as he was initially signed up to form part of its ill-fated LMDh WEC program.
“The whole Audi situation from the outside looks like a bit of a shambles,” he said. “It’s a massive shame. I remember early on in the LMDh project I was involved in the simulator stuff. We were a week away from the first rollout of the car when they pulled the plug on the project.
