An unforgettable weekend for the van der Lindes

An unforgettable weekend for the van der Lindes

We enjoy seeing our local competitors shine in the international spotlight, and this weekend was particularly memorable for the van der Linde brothers, who both achieved respective wins in difficult conditions.

After a dry practice and qualifying, race one threw a wrench in the works due to wet conditions. Kelvin's qualifying pace was impressive, and he led the pack from the start. Kelvin was clearly in a racing groove, pulling away from the pack early on.

Behind the leader, the slippery conditions proved to be troublesome, with the Lamborghini of Franck Perera spinning out of turn 2. It didn’t take long before the weather applied pressure to the field, with the championship leader, Thomas Piening, trading paint with Thierri Vermeulen, who was later ordered to return the position.

Kelvin was dominant in the first race of the weekend, but near the halfway point, the leader missed his brake marker and overshot the first turn. Fortunately, he was able to get his Audi R8 back on track, and his lead was substantial enough to keep him ahead of second place.

Race one was a thrilling spectacle further back in the pack, with door-to-door racing and moves that left our eyes wide open in awe of the nerves some of these drivers have. Kelvin proved to be untouchable and took home an impressive win in the first race of the weekend.

Race two saw improved weather and dry racing conditions, and the drivers were clearly willing to lay it all down on the track. Unfortunately, the race was over before it began for the Austrian driver Clemens Schmid, as his McLaren suffered a mechanical issue on the out lap.

Maro Engel led the way from the start, with Ricardo Feller in hot pursuit. Sheldon vd Linde, on the other hand, started his charge from tenth place, but the spins and dings ahead would open the door for the defending champion. Luca Stolz had an unfortunate start as the group bunched up heading into turn one. Kelvin found himself in the AMG's rear bumper, forcing Luca down the leaderboard.

It was also an early retirement for Nicki Thiim, as his Lambo had a technical issue early into the race, bringing around the first safety car of the day. Sheldon van der Linde, meanwhile, was starting to settle into a rhythm, and, from tenth place in the race, he gained eight positions early on to secure second place.

Only 15 minutes into the race, Maro Engel applied pressure to Sheldon in a racing display for the books. The confidence each driver displayed in their abilities and vehicles, combined with aggressive determination, saw a door-to-door battle, which left my heart in my seat. Maro took the lead, with Sheldon close on his tail.

Further back, Arjun Maini spun out, leaving turn two and narrowly avoiding other traffic. An issue with his car forced the Mercedes to lose control after the driver slipped on his own spilt fluid.

As the halfway point drew near, Sheldon's early pit stop gave him the advantage, as his speed on the new rubber propelled him forward. But further back in the pack, the pressure was mounting, and vehicle contact was plentiful. After completing the mandatory stops, Sheldon assumed the lead and continued to pull away, firmly establishing his position.

The intense battles around the midway point further back in the pack began to settle as the cars spread out into the closing stages of the race. This allowed Sheldon to bring home BMW's 100^th DTM win and another first-place finish for the Saffer.

This weekend was a perfect display of racing at its finest. There was a lot of contact and battles, and the better drivers proved their worth in tight competition. It is refreshing to see intense racing like in the good old days, and DTM is again proving that if exciting racing is what you're after, then DTM is the place to be. It was a proud weekend for the van der Linde brothers, with two victories that will be difficult to forget.

You can find the race results here on the DTM official website.