After first E-Prix of the season 2022-23, in which Robin Frijns he had injured his hand in an accident, the Dutchman was expected to return for the Cape Town stage. So unfortunately it is not, with ABT CUPRA who released a brief statement in which he updates the fans on the situation.
Update on our line-up: Together with the team and the FIA doctor, @RFrijns has decided to give his hand a little more time and not to start in Cape Town. South African @KelvinvdLinde will replace Robin on his home soil.#ABTCUPRAFE #WeAreBack #ABBFormulaE #FormulaE pic.twitter.com/OFPiXNmhlA
- ABT Motorsport (@abtmotorsport) February 17, 2023
According to the press release, “In agreement with the team and the FIA doctor, Robin Frijns has decided to give his hand more time [to heal, ed] and will not start in Cape Town. South African Kelvin van der Linde will replace Robin in his own country”.
These are the words of Frijns on the social channels of Formula E: “I want to get back in the car as soon as possible. I felt good in the simulator and had no pain. Nonetheless, we decided to give my hand more time to fully heal. Thanks to Kelvin for his flexibility and I wish him the best at his home race.".
By doing so, Frijns will miss his fourth consecutive race of the season, quite clearly jeopardizing his chances to fight for the championship. It's also true that ABT CUPRA is the only team still holding zero points in the standings, but Nico Müller had finished on the edge of the points during the Hyderabad E-Prix, indicating a clear improvement curve for the team. Furthermore, in a championship as unpredictable as Formula E, anything is possible in the fight for the title, with spectacular comebacks in the season finale due to performance drops by others or actual performance masterclasses. At this stage, Frijns is expected to return for theSao Paulo E-Prix, in Brazil.
