Formula E team ABT Cupra finds South African replacement for Frijns

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ABT Cupra Frijns Van der Linde
19 January 2023 at 09:25
Last update 19 January 2023 at 10:43
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  • GPblog.com

Kelvin van der Linde will make his debut in Formula E in Saudi Arabia this month. The South African replaces the injured Robin Frijns at ABT Cupra, who needs time to recover after his crash in the first race weekend in Mexico.

Frijns collided hard with Norman Nato's car on the opening lap and had to abandon the race. Initially, it seemed to be a fracture in his wrist, but a thorough examination revealed that it was broken in more places. It caused him to have to undergo an operation lasting several hours.

For now, Frijns is yet to dare say when he will be ready to resume his season in Formula E, which led his team ABT Cupra to look for a temporary replacement. The formation eventually saw the best option in Kelvin van der Linde.

Debut in Formula E

The 26-year-old South African scored the two biggest victories of his career in 2014 and 2017. Where in 2014 he took the ADAC GT Masters to himself, three years later he took a win in the Adac 24h Nürburgring. He is grateful for the opportunity in Formula E.

"Proud to announce that I will be making my Formula E World Championship debut next weekend in Saudi Arabia with ABT Cupra," he reveals. "These aren’t the circumstances anyone wants to make their debut under and I wish Robin a speedy recovery. He is a key part of our team!"