Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts experienced the absolute highs and lows of motor racing within a two-week period this summer. The defending champions swept the board at Misano, a rare achievement in the Sprint Cup, and established a healthy points advantage.
But at Magny-Cours, nothing seemed to go right for the #32 Team WRT BMW crew. P7 in Race 1 was a solid comeback after qualifying 17th, but Race 2 was a major disappointment. Van der Linde took pole, only to be disqualified for a technical infringement. The South African started from the rear of the field and was making progress, but clashed with Ben Green’s Ferrari and then retired following a separate incident.
"It was a big knock for us and a difficult one to take, but ultimately it's a fast-paced business, so you try to push forward to the next race," says Van der Linde. "On the more positive side, Misano was the perfect weekend. A double-win weekend doesn't come often, so you try to enjoy it as much as you can.
"[At Magny-Cours] we had the euphoria of being on pole on Sunday, and then it goes from one extreme to the other when you get thrown to the back of the grid. To reset and come into the race, I had a clear mindset of going all in. To come from P40 on the grid to the points, you have to take a lot of risks, which ultimately didn't pay off."
That may refer to the incident with Green, which earned Van der Linde a five-place grid penalty for Zandvoort. It's a setback at a circuit where starting position is crucial, but the defending Sprint Cup champ stands by his 'all in' mindset.
"I don't think I have any regrets, because a conservative approach wouldn't really have amounted to anything. In the championship fight we're in, you kind of have to take that risk."
Kelvin is not someone who dwells on bad results – as he points out, no professional GT driver can afford to. WRT has since taken a P2 in the Endurance Cup round at the Nürburgring, so the ghosts of Magny-Cours have already been banished.
"There are just so many races in GT racing at the moment that you're forced to have that mindset. If you dwell on a race that happened in February, by the time you get to October you've got a lot of baggage to carry with you. If you carry every bad result, it's going to be a very long season! I try to always just tick the box and move on to the next race."
Now he's looking ahead to Zandvoort. It's a track that he – like so many drivers – counts among his favourites, and it's been good to him: he won at the track in 2020 with Ryuichiro Tomita (below), setting a record winning margin of more than 30 seconds which still stands today; and he triumphed again last year alongside Weerts.
"I love Zandvoort, honestly. It's a place where we as drivers can really make the difference. If you put a good lap in during qualifying and manage to make zero mistakes, you can sometimes outdrive the potential of your package. I'm hoping we can show that on race day and fight up front.
"It isn't very conventional," he continues. "There are a lot of elevation changes and a lot of banking, which you don't typically have anywhere else on the calendar, so it's a different challenge. It's a place where you can get away with taking a bit more risk, so drivers who take risks are often rewarded.
"I like having my fate a bit more in my own hands at a track like that. If you do a good job, it's easier to stand out than at a track everyone knows well and is fast at.
"So, heading to Zandvoort, we're optimistic. We had a great year there last year and I think the team spirit is as good as ever."
There is a decent chance that Weerts and Van der Linde will lose the championship lead this weekend. Their advantage is just 2.5 points, and a five-place grid penalty at a track where overtaking is very tricky will almost certainly cost them.
But even if they do, you would be incredibly brave to write them off. Team WRT finds a way to maximise its potential and will do just that at Zandvoort, even if it loses top spot. Then, it will take the fight to Barcelona.
One thing is for sure: getting everything they possibly can this weekend will be crucial if they are to retain their title.