Sheldon van der Linde “over the moon” with first DTM podium

Team RBM driver Sheldon van der Linde was again the most competitive driver for BMW Motorsport on Saturday at the Lausitzring. Van der Linde not only claimed his first podium in the DTM, but also the first podium for a South African driver in the series.

“I’m over the moon with my first DTM podium,” said the Team RBM driver. “I was so close at Zolder last year, but then missed out on the final lap.”

Van der Linde was the best qualifier of the BMW camp, claiming the fourth spot on the grid, just two-tenths from the pole position time and barely three-thousandths behind Audi’s Loïc Duval.

The South African ran in a comfortable third place after the start, but felt he could be faster. The BMW driver was the first among the leaders to change tyres, a decision that allowed him to overtake Audi’s Robin Frijns for second place. Although Van der Linde was able to close the gap to leading Nico Müller (Audi), he crossed the finish line in third place.

“This time I called up everything I could,” added Van der Linde. “I tried to catch Nico Müller at the front, but he was just that little bit too fast in the end.

“Having said that, we have made a clear step forwards and are now able to challenge the Audis. My car was fantastic today, many thanks to the team.”

The South African is also the best-placed BMW driver in the championship, fifth on 26 points, 54 behind Müller.