The BMW M Motorsport driver lineup for 2025 is closer to being finalized with the announcement of Kelvin van der Linde as a new signing. Kelvin is the older brother of BMW works driver Sheldon (shown above – Kelvin on the left, Sheldon on the right) and is coming to BMW after spending most of the last several years as an Audi works driver.
Like Sheldon, Kelvin van der Linde is am accomplished GT driver. He’s won the Nürburgring 24 Hour race twice (2017, 2022) and is a two-time champion in the ADAC GT Masters Series (2014, 2019). When he won the ADAC GT championship in 2014 at age 18, he became the youngest ever champion of that series. In 2024, he finished runner-up in the DTM championship for the Team Abt Sportsline, driving an Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II. Between 2021 and 2024, van der Linde had eight wins in DTM and 14 podium finishes. He also competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 class in 2024.
van der Linde finished as a close runner up in the 2024 DTM championship, driving an Audi.
It’s not clear where van der Linde will be driving and in what series, but it will likely be with BMW M Team WRT. He has driven for the team before at the Spa 24 Hour race. “I am really looking forward to the new challenge at BMW M Motorsport,” he says. “For me and my family, this comes full circle. My father raced in BMW touring cars, and after my brother Sheldon joined BMW M Motorsport a few years ago, it has always been my dream that we would eventually drive together there. This dream is now coming true. I will have an extensive racing program next season, which will give me a lot of driving time in the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. This will help me quickly adapt to the new car.”
—David Haueter
[Photo courtesy BMW, Gruppe C Photography]
