Sheldon VAN DER LINDE

Sheldon van der Linde, born on May 13, 1999, is a South African racing driver who has made a significant impact in the world of motorsport. Van der Linde began his racing journey at the young age of six, starting with karting in his native South Africa. He quickly proved his talent, securing multiple national titles before transitioning to car racing in 2014. His debut season was nothing short of remarkable, as he clinched the South Africa Polo Cup Championship in dominant fashion. The following year, he continued his success by winning the Volkswagen Cup South Africa.

In 2016, Van der Linde stepped onto the international stage, competing in the Audi Sport TT Cup, a support series of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). He immediately impressed, winning both races in the opening round at Hockenheimring. His career reached new heights when he joined the DTM in 2019 with BMW Team RBM, becoming the first South African to compete in the series. In 2022, Sheldon van der Linde secured his maiden DTM title driving for Schubert Motorsport, making history as the first South African to win the championship and the first BMW driver since 2016.

Beyond DTM, Van der Linde has also participated in various other racing series, including the IMSA SportsCar Championship, ADAC GT Masters, and TCR Benelux. On February 2, 2025, he achieved a major milestone by winning the Bathurst 12 Hour race at Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia, driving a BMW M4 GT3 for Team WRT alongside Augusto Farfus and his brother Kelvin van der Linde. He also served as a reserve driver for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in Formula E and participated in rookie tests for Jaguar TCS Racing.