In a recent incident during the competition at Sachsenring, Kelvin van der Linde experienced an intense moment when he was forced to retire from the race due to a collision with Maro Engel. The frustration of the BMW driver was evident as he complained over the radio about the accident, not being able to imagine that shortly after it would turn into a gesture of support.
After race officials imposed a 15-second penalty on Engel, van der Linde did not hesitate to embrace him despite having lost an important position. ‘I know how hard this situation is,’ van der Linde explained, who, with empathy, wanted to make Engel understand that he should not lose faith.
The Reality of the Championship
This penalty cost Engel valuable 11 points in the title fight, a situation van der Linde knows well, as he has also fought for the championship on several occasions. ‘Years of effort can crumble in an instant,’ he pointed out with complicity, recalling his own failures in critical moments.
The South African driver wanted to ensure that Engel kept his spirits high. ‘I just wanted to tell him to keep going, not to get discouraged,’ he commented. Between the two drivers, there is great esteem, as they share years of both positive and negative experiences on the track.
A Shared Past
Van der Linde and Engel have known each other since 2014, when the South African made his debut in GT competitions. Since then, they have maintained a respectful rivalry, with multiple confrontations on the track and moments of camaraderie off it. Despite the tensions, mutual respect has always prevailed.
Engel is now second in the overall standings, facing a great challenge ahead to secure the title, just 23 points behind Thomas Preining. The final races promise to be full of emotions and tensions before the grand finale.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_8713268e8a98b0eb763cd7bd65dc8c0b752fa8b1