SA's Sheldon van der Linde basks in maiden DTM championship win: I believed I could be here one day

"I have a thousand things running through my mind right now."

These were the jubilant words that came from South African DTM (German Touring Car Masters) champion Sheldon van der Lindeafter his race on Sunday at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

In his Schubert Motorsport BMW M4, Van der Linde qualified fifth and made up two places during the race, which proved enough for the 23-year-old to keep to clinch the title.

"Flashing back to when I was a kid, watching on the couch, seeing these guys win championships ... I honestly believed I could be there one day," he said.

Rene Rast finished second and Lucas Auer, the 2022 runner-up, seventh. Auer ended the season 11 points behind the champion.

Van der Linde's brother, Kelvin, finished in fifth.

"For me, it was a rollercoaster," Van der Linde continued.

"I'm just so happy to be DTM champion. It feels unbelievable."

According to BusinessDay, Van der Linde was competing in his 68th DTM race since his series debut in 2019.

The publication reported that he amassed 164 points to top the drivers' standings, 11 more than Austrian Lucas Auer (Mercedes) in second place.

Van der Linde celebrated three wins and six podiums in his championship season. It was his fourth season in the DTM and the first for his Schubert Motorsport team.