ADAC GT Masters champion René Rast has been promoted by Audi to the LMP1 programme for the 2015 campaign and, for the first time, will fight for victory overall in the 24-Hours of Le Mans. Kelvin van der Linde also gets a new contract for 2015. The 18-year-old South African has been engaged by Audi Sport as a driver in their GT3 customer sports programme. Apart from lining up in the Audi R8 LMS ultra prepared by C Abt Racing with Stefan Wackerbauer in the Super Sports Car League, van der Linde will also contest certain long distance races.

Van der Linde will move from South Africa to Germany at the end of February before the start of his second ADAC GT Masters season. "A contract with Audi Sport represents another step forward and a major development in my career. I am in a privileged position in that the Audi/Volkswagen Group have shown a lot of faith in me in recent years. I'm happy to drive for them this year and in the future. I've worked very hard to achieve this goal. My family and I have had to make a lot of sacrifices, so it's great to know that it's now paying off."

Van der Linde won the 2013 Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup. That success made possible the move up into the ADAC GT Masters last year. In 2014, the South African also came top in the junior development programme run by the Young Driver Excellence Academy on behalf of the FIA, the sport's governing body.

"I'm already really looking forward to the ADAC GT Masters season. The series is incredibly competitive. My primary objective this year is to defend the title with Audi. Who knows where that might lead? Perhaps one day, it could be followed by a works contract with Audi and a place in the DTM or in an LMP1 sports car. Either of those two prospects would be like a dream come true, but for the moment, I'm very happy to be where I am now and enjoying every minute of it."