A few weeks in the past, I used to be in Austria, interviewing DTM driver Sheldon van der Linde, after his race on the Pink Bull Ring. Throughout my interview, van der Linde was main the motive force’s standings however, after an eleventh place end, different drivers have been starting to catch up. He nonetheless had a very good probability at profitable the title, however I might inform he wasn’t happy along with his efficiency on that day. Nevertheless, van der Linde managed to placed on a much better efficiency on the Hockenheimring earlier at the moment, giving his crew, Schubert Motorsport, sufficient factors to clinch the crew championship title for the 2022 season.
After a tough fought race, by which van der Linde got here again from a sixteenth place begin—because of a rule infraction from his crew—he was capable of end in second. That second place end gave him sufficient factors for crew Schubert to clinch the crew title, regardless of there nonetheless being one other race left.
As for van der Linde himself, he has 149 factors on the season, simply two greater than Lucas Auer, from Mercedes-AMG crew Winward. Tomorrow, if his finishes forward of Auer, van der Linde will win the championship. Nevertheless, Auer is the one who gained at the moment’s race at Hockenheim, proving that he and his automotive are very fast there. Although, van der Linda’s poor beginning grid placement definitely damage his probabilities of taking the win, so a greater qualifying tomorrow would possibly give him a greater shot. He might have pushed heroically, going from sixteenth to second place however that wasn’t sufficient to attain him the win and hold Auer off his tail.
It might be very cool if van der Linde might take the championship title subsequent yr. Not solely as a result of he would have so in a BMW M4 GT3 however as a result of van der Linde is straightforward to root for. The 23-year previous South African is an extremely humble and down-to-earth driver who races in DTM along with his older brother (Kevin van der Linde, who drives an Audi R8 for crew ABT Sportsline). So seeing him convey dwelling the motive force’s championship, whereas additionally serving to his crew snag the crew championship, all whereas driving a BMW M4 GT3 could be very cool for followers of DTM and BMW.
