WATCH: Sheldon van der Linde crowned 2022 DTM champion

Sheldon van der Linde claimed the 2022 DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) Champion title when he finished third in the finale at Hockenheim on Sunday.

This makes the 23-year-old racing driver the first South African to win the German-based series in it’s history.

DTM Champion crowned

The BMW driver, who had largely the dominated the series after a horrible 2021 campaign, the first under the new GT3 regulations, went into the final round needing only to finish in the top six regardless of whether challenges, Mercedes’ Lucar Auer and Audi’s Rene Rast finished.

The youngest son of multiple South African champion Shaun and brother of Kelvin, who races for Audi, almost lost the edge to Auer in the 6th lap, when they pitted at the same time and returned to the same position.

As Audi’s Nico Muller overtook Auer, van der Linde used it to his advantage to close the gap between him and Clement Schmid’s Lamborghini.

WATCH: Van Der Linde claims DTM Champion title

DTM winners

Taking it easy throughout the last few stages, van der Linde easily managed to deny 19-year old DTM rookie Marius Zug his podium finish by crossing the line third behind Rast and eventual winner, BMW’s Marco Wittmann.

Older brother Kelvin meanwhile finished fifth and eighth overall after experiencing a year completely the opposite of 2021 where he had been in contention for the title right up to the final round.

Motorsport South Africa congratulated him on “his fantastic achievement”, remarking, ‘Well done Sheldon, you have made South African motorsport extremely proud”.