Kelvin Van der Linde returns to the clash with Liam Lawson

Taken to task on social networks after his clash with Liam Lawson, the South African pilot spoke out to react to his attacks.

Published on 14/10/2021 à 10:58

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Kelvin Van der Linde returns to clash with Liam Lawson

Photo François Flamand / DPPI

This Sunday during the final round at Norisring, the collision between Liam Lawson and Kelvin Van der Linde caused a lot of talk. The young 19-year-old driver, leader in the general classification when he took the start, was hit at the first turn by the South African. This accident benefited Maximilian Götz, who will win the 2021 title. On his Twitter account, Kelvin Van der Linde decided to speak, three days after the incident, to apologize to Liam Lawson. “ After Sunday's race, I decided to turn away from social media and reflect on everything that happened. At that point, I wanted to make sure I reached out to the person who most deserved an apology. Liam and I talked last night. We talked about everything that happened and I apologized for the actions that cost him the championship. I also apologized for the way I handled the media immediately after the race. I still had all the adrenaline from having a microphone stuck to my face as I got out of the car without knowing what had happened on the television. I didn’t manage it well and I’m not proud of it.”

Deep breath and here we go: pic.twitter.com/f9F8myaOy1

— Kelvin van der Linde (@KelvinvdLinde) October 13, 2021

The representative of ABT Sportsline also defended himself against the attacks on social networks, and is meeting for next season on the Norisring track. “ The responses I received during the week left a bitter taste in my mouth that will take time to heal. The only thing I will say to those who felt the need to write these things: you don't know me, you don't know my family, and you certainly haven't ever walked in my shoes. Sport is sport. But never forget that there are real people behind it all. I would not wish any of this on any human being. I will come back here next year. And I will do many things much better.” In the final ranking of DTM 2021, Maximilian Götz won the title, 19 points ahead of Liam Lawson. Kelvin Van der Linde completes the podium, 22 points behind the winner.