Sheldon van der Linde Bio
Sheldon van der Linde (born 13 May 1999) is a South African motor racing driver competing internationally in GT and touring car competition. He is best known for his success in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, where he claimed his maiden championship title in 2022 driving for Schubert Motorsport. He is the younger brother of racing driver Kelvin van der Linde, and together the siblings have forged one of the most recognized South African family pairings in modern motorsport.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sheldon began racing karts as a child and quickly progressed through single-make championships before moving into the European GT scene. Across touring cars, GT3 racing, and major endurance events, he has built a reputation as a versatile BMW factory driver with a strong pedigree in production-based competition.
Early Life and Background
Sheldon van der Linde was born on 13 May 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the same country that produced his older brother, Kelvin van der Linde. Growing up in a motorsport-oriented household, he was exposed to racing at a young age and began competing in karting events at just six years old. His early karting years were marked by multiple national titles on the South African junior circuit, providing a strong technical foundation for his transition to car racing.
The Johannesburg karting scene gave Sheldon a competitive platform to refine his race craft against seasoned junior drivers. By his early teenage years, his performances in karting had attracted attention from South African single-make series organizers, who offered him the opportunity to graduate into touring car competition. His family played a central role in supporting his career, with his brother Kelvin serving as both a mentor and a benchmark as the elder sibling climbed the European motorsport ladder.
Path to NASCAR
Sheldon van der Linde has not competed in NASCAR as of the most recent verified records. His professional career has been built on the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, GT3 endurance events, and related sports car championships primarily run in Europe, Asia, and Australia. While many international drivers have expressed interest in the NASCAR Cup Series or the NASCAR Xfinity Series, no verified entry, test, or contract links van der Linde to a NASCAR national series team.
Sheldon van der Linde Career
Early Career (2014-2016)
Sheldon van der Linde made his car-racing debut in 2014 in the South Africa Polo Cup Championship, where he won the title in dominant fashion in his first season. The following year, he added the Volkswagen Cup South Africa championship to his résumé, cementing his status as one of the country’s most promising young touring car talents. These two single-make titles gave him the experience and the budget to explore opportunities in European motorsport.
For the 2016 season, Sheldon moved to Germany to contest the Audi Sport TT Cup, a support series for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He made an immediate impact by winning both races of the opening round at the Hockenheimring and added multiple podiums along with a second victory to finish fourth in the standings. The campaign served as a springboard to a broader GT and endurance program in subsequent seasons.
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Breakthrough (2019-2022)
In January 2019, it was announced that Sheldon van der Linde would drive for BMW Team RBM in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, becoming the first South African to compete in the series. He scored a pole position at Zolder during his rookie campaign and ended the year thirteenth in the standings, nineteen points behind teammate Joel Eriksson. The season established him as a qualifying threat and a consistent points scorer in his first year of touring car competition in Europe.
Sheldon remained with BMW Team RBM in 2020 alongside Philipp Eng and showed clear progression. After scoring his first DTM podium at the Lausitzring, he took his maiden series victory in race two at Assen, also setting the fastest lap. A consistent run of results lifted him to sixth in the championship, finishing as the second-highest BMW driver behind Timo Glock. The year positioned him as a future title contender.
For 2021, the first DTM season run under Group GT3 regulations, Sheldon switched to ROWE Racing to partner Timo Glock as the team fielded BMW M6 GT3 cars. He opened with five top-ten finishes in the first seven races, highlighted by a fourth-place result at Monza and a pole at the Lausitzring, where he led 21 laps before a pit-stop infringement cost him a top finish. Mechanical issues and retirements in the second half of the season dropped him to eleventh in the final standings.
The 2022 season marked the high point of his DTM career to date. Paired with Philipp Eng at Schubert Motorsport, the team fielded BMW M4 GT3 cars for its first DTM entry. Sheldon swept both races at the Lausitzring, won the first race of the Nürburgring round ahead of his brother Kelvin, and arrived at the final Hockenheimring round eleven points clear of Lucas Auer. After finishing second on Saturday, he clinched his maiden DTM title with a third-place result on Sunday, finishing eleven points clear of Auer in the final classification.
Schubert Motorsport Era (2022-Present)
Sheldon’s title-winning partnership with Schubert Motorsport has continued beyond the 2022 championship. The team’s BMW M4 GT3 program has kept him in contention across subsequent seasons, and he remains a key part of the BMW factory driver lineup. The combination of team stability and manufacturer support has allowed him to balance his DTM commitments with selected endurance outings in Europe and abroad.
Outside the DTM, Sheldon has served as a reserve driver for BMW i Andretti Motorsport during the 2020-21 Formula E season, and he completed a Formula E rookie test with Jaguar TCS Racing in Berlin in April 2023. He returned to the Jaguar rookie test in Rome and participated in additional rookie free practice sessions in Misano and Berlin, gaining valuable experience in the all-electric series without committing to a full campaign.
Notable Races and Milestones
On 2 February 2025, Sheldon scored the biggest victory of his career when he won the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia. Driving for Team WRT in a BMW M4 GT3 alongside Augusto Farfus and his brother Kelvin, he led the team to a ten-second win over teammates Raffaele Marciello, Charles Weerts, and Valentino Rossi. The result made the van der Linde brothers only the third sibling pairing to win a major race together at Bathurst, following Leo and Pete Geoghegan in 1962 and Geoff and David Brabham in 1997.
Sheldon van der Linde Career Wins
Sheldon van der Linde’s career win list spans single-make championships in South Africa, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and major international GT endurance events. His breakthrough title in the DTM in 2022 established him as a champion, while the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour victory elevated his résumé on the global endurance stage.
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Highlights
Sheldon claimed the 2022 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship with Schubert Motorsport, securing the title at the Hockenheimring finale. His maiden DTM race win came at Assen in 2020, and he added two further victories at the Lausitzring in 2022 before winning the opening race of the Nürburgring round later that season.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his DTM title, Sheldon won the South Africa Polo Cup Championship in 2014 and the Volkswagen Cup South Africa in 2015. His Bathurst 12 Hour triumph in 2025 with Team WRT stands as his most prestigious sports car victory to date.
Sheldon van der Linde Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sheldon van der Linde comes from a South African family with deep ties to motorsport. His older brother, Kelvin van der Linde, is also a professional racing driver with extensive experience in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and international GT competition. The siblings have shared the podium on several occasions, including a 1-2 finish at the Nürburgring in 2022 when Sheldon led Kelvin across the line in the first race of that DTM round.
Personal Life
Sheldon van der Linde is South African by nationality and has spent much of his professional career based in Europe to be close to his racing commitments. Public information regarding his marital status, spouse, or children has not been formally disclosed in verified sources.
2025 Season Performance
Sheldon van der Linde’s 2025 season is highlighted by the Bathurst 12 Hour victory in February, his most significant sports car result to date. Partnering with Augusto Farfus and his brother Kelvin at Team WRT, the trio delivered a commanding ten-second win at Mount Panorama, reinforcing Sheldon’s credentials as a leading BMW factory driver in GT3 competition.
Beyond Bathurst, Sheldon continues to balance a busy schedule that pairs his Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters commitments with Schubert Motorsport alongside selected endurance outings. His ongoing role as a BMW factory driver keeps him connected to major GT3 programs worldwide, with the Bathurst result expected to strengthen his prospects for additional high-profile endurance drives throughout the year.