Like most of their rivals, the two ABT drivers Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo Feller spent a day testing at the Nürburgring, but also used the break for a little holiday. Kelvin van der Linde recharged his batteries by the sea in Greece for the final spurt in the title fight, Ricardo Feller at Lago Maggiore and on the Côte d’Azur.
Now it’s back to work. The Nürburgring has a very special significance in ABT Sportsline’s 25-year DTM history: the team from Kempten has never won more races in the DTM at any other venue. ABT Sportsline has already won 14 times there, most recently in 2021 with Kelvin van der Linde.
Hans-Jürgen Abt: “A very special milestone”
6 May 2001 is unforgettable: just one year after ABT Sportsline’s debut in the DTM, Laurent Aiello brought the team its first victory in the most important German racing series at the Nürburgring. “This was of course a very special milestone for us,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group. “In the first year, our then yellow cars were more likely to be seen at the back of the field. We worked hard and after just one year, nobody laughed about us anymore. We also won the second race at the Nürburgring in 2001 and have actually been quite successful there ever since. Maybe apart from 2008, when Audi’s weatherman played a nasty trick on us …” The Audi strategists sent all the cars into the race on wet tyres because of the threat of rain clouds, even though the track was dry. A wrong decision that cost ABT Sportsline another possible victory at the Nürburgring.
Martin Tomczyk: “Nürburgring almost like a second home”
Martin Tomczyk has contributed two of the 14 ABT victories in the Eifel (2007 and 2009). “I was on the front row of the grid for my second DTM race there in 2001 and have always enjoyed coming to the Nürburgring as a driver,” says the current ABT Motorsport Director. “For us as a team, the Nürburgring is almost like a second home, because we’ve been up there a lot this year in preparation for the 24-hour race. We’ve always performed well at the Nürburgring in recent years with our R8. But I’m expecting a very evenly matched field again. In the title fight, it is becoming increasingly important to take every point.”
Kelvin van der Linde: “We will continue to work as before”
Kelvin van der Linde is second in the overall standings, five points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti in a Lamborghini. “My attitude for the second half of the season is unchanged,” says the South African, who now also has German citizenship. “We will continue to work in the same way as before: focussed and as error-free as possible. Apart from the second race at the Norisring, that has worked quite well so far. We had a successful test at the Nürburgring, which will help us to get into the right rhythm straight away on the race weekend. Qualifying has become particularly important in the DTM. A test like this definitely helps. In the title fight, it will be crucial to score good points every weekend and to use the moment when your car is particularly good on a track. There are currently a lot of fluctuations in the performance of the various manufacturers and many drivers at the front.”
Ricardo Feller: “Things can turn quickly”
After two difficult race weekends, Ricardo Feller has recently dropped back to seventh in the standings. He is 31 points off the top of the table. “I’m still fully motivated,” says the Swiss driver. “We know that we can normally compete at the front. Sometimes certain things happen that you have to understand first. The test went well, we found a good start set-up for the race weekend. I don’t see myself as the favourite for the title at the moment, but I’m not completely without a chance either. Things can turn quickly. If my rivals have a bad race and we can score good points, we’ll be there again. There are a lot of tracks coming up that I like. We’ll keep fighting.”
ProSieben will be broadcasting live from the Nürburgring on Saturday and Sunday from 1 PM. DTM highlights will also be shown on Red Bull TV on both Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 PM on the race weekend.
The two ABT drivers about the Nürburgring sprint circuit
The DTM races on the shortest version of the Nürburgring circuit. What do you think about the track?
Kelvin: “I generally like the sprint circuit a lot and have always had good results there. But it’s always very close there because the field is extremely tight.”
Ricardo: “I like the sprint circuit, even if I would prefer to drive the full Grand Prix circuit – there are just a few more fast corners like the Schumacher S, for example. That makes it more attractive for us drivers. But for the fans, I think the sprint circuit is really good, especially for the DTM, because there’s always action. If you watch from the Mercedes grandstand, you can see almost the whole track. That’s great.”
What is particularly important on the sprint circuit?
Ricardo: “The rotation of the car in the very slow corners. The short cut is a very difficult one because the track drops down there and our Audi always has too little load on the front axle. It’s also important to be able to brake late before the slow Turn 1 and before the chicane on the back straight.”
Kelvin: “Making perfect use of the available performance in qualifying and getting the tyres into the window. That should work well following the successful test we had.”
Which section of the track do you like best?
Kelvin: “The last chicane, where you literally fly over the curbs, which is not often the case in a GT3 car.”
Ricardo: “For me, turns 6 and 7 – that’s the left-right combination. It has a cool flow.”
Where is the best place to overtake?
Ricardo: “Out of the slipstream on the main straight down to Turn 1. There are often great fights there, which then continue through the first sector, because you can drive side by side if your rival is playing along. DTM fans can look forward to some great action there.”
Kelvin: “Turn 1 probably. But in Sector 1, there are also one or two opportunities if someone makes a mistake.”
What are your best Nürburgring memories in the DTM?
Kelvin: “For me, definitely the VDL one-two win with my brother Sheldon in 2022 – that will always be a very special memory.”
Ricardo: “Kelvin and I achieved a double podium there in 2022. Last year, I had two very good qualifying sessions with P3 and P1. Unfortunately, we weren’t quite able to do as well as I would have liked in the races. We will try to do better this year.”
Did you know that ...
... ABT Head of Sports Marketing Harry Unflath invited former national footballer Norbert Nachtweih and comedian Django Asül to the Nürburgring?
.. ABT team manager Angelie Krampitz completed her first triathlon between the DTM races at the Norisring and the Nürburgring?
... Kelvin van der Linde will be competing with Marco Wittmann in ABT partner Schaeffler’s simulator on Friday?
... Ricardo Feller will be competing in the DTM Kart Grand Prix on Friday evening?
... Ricardo Feller and Kelvin van der Linde will be signing autographs at the Paddock Legends stand on Saturday at 5 PM?
... the fans at the Nürburgring will be able to look into Kelvin van der Linde’s pit through windows on the side?
... the DTM race at the Nürburgring is the home race for ABT partner Scherer?
... in addition to the Scherer family, the Remmele (SÜDPACK) and Keuk (KEUK Medientechnik) families will also be coming to the Nürburgring?
... Thomas Henkel, head of the Dachser Allgäu Logistics Centre, will visit ABT Sportsline at the Nürburgring?
... ABT Sportsline’s DTM partners met at a workshop at KEUK Medientechnik during the race week?