Miyata Set to Replace Van Der Linde at Spa

Ritomo Miyata is set to replace Kelvin van der Linde at the Akkodis ASP Lexus squad for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Van der Linde is unavailable for the third round of the season in May after being called up to replace Nico Mueller at the ABT Cupra team for the Berlin round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, which falls on the same weekend as the Spa race.

A Toyota spokesperson told Sportscar365 that newly-minted European Le Mans Series race winner Miyata is set to take van der Linde’s place alongside Arnold Robin and Timur Boguslavskiy aboard the No. 78 Lexus RC F GT3.

Miyata is one of three drivers contracted by Toyota for its LMGT3 effort along with van der Linde and Jose Maria Lopez, and is available to compete at Spa as it does not clash with his duties in either the ELMS or the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

The Japanese driver was scheduled to be present at Spa anyway in his capacity as Toyota Hypercar reserve driver.

It marks a return to the WEC for Miyata, who made his series debut at last year’s 6 Hours of Fuji with Kessel Racing and claimed a class podium in GTE-Am in the process.

He will also return to the cockpit of Lexus’ GT3 challenger after he joined Vasser Sullivan for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

Van der Linde, meanwhile, returns to Formula E for the first time since he stood in for the injured Robin Frijns for three races last year.

Mueller is unavailable to race in Berlin due to his prior commitments with Peugeot in the WEC, with the French manufacturer already facing the prospect of not having either Jean-Eric Vergne or Stoffel Vandoorne present at Spa.