Sheldon van der Linde told select media including Motorsport Week that making his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in the premier Hypercar class with BMW represents a unique challenge.
“[It’s] very emotional,” van der Linde acknowledged ahead of his Le Mans debut.
“I mean, normally people come here in GT and, and kind of get experience in the GT car and learn the track. But for me, there was no learning phase.
“It was straight into the Hypercar this year, which is something very unique and obviously, a big challenge for me.”
The South African driver is a mainstay of the BMW stable, winning the 2022 DTM title with the German marque at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 machine.
Still, despite being a highly accomplished and experienced driver, van der Linde heads into this weekend’s endurance classic lacking in experience.
Like the BMW-run WRT programme, this is van der Linde’s first visit to Le Mans with the M Hybrid V8 prototype, and the South African doesn’t have prior experience in the GT categories to lean on either.
Regardless of the challenge ahead, van der Linde is confident his three prior outings in the M Hybrid V8 during the opening rounds of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, plus his experience at Daytona and Sebring last year in the prototype machine stand him in good stead this week.
“I know the Hypercar,” he said. “I’ve done three races in it, more even with Daytona last year and Sebring.
“So I’m feeling quite comfortable.
“But it’s a lot of learning in Le Mans itself to get to know the track and all the little secrets that go along with it.”
The Team WRT BMWs will do well to challenge the likes of Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari at Le Mans this year, with all three marques looking strong so far in the 2024 FIA WEC campaign and featuring atop the timesheets during Sunday’s test session.
However, van der Linde’s #20 M Hybrid V8 co-driver Robin Frijns impressed with a 3:28.072 effort in the afternoon test session to finish sixth, ahead of fellow Hypercar newcomers Alpine, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini.
Following the test sessions, van der Linde believes there’s more to come from the BMW package.
“Obviously the first session is just about getting the ride heights right, like all the basics, you know, making sure that the car doesn’t bottom out on the kerbs,” the South African said.
“We’re obviously going to fine-tune the setup throughout the weekend and make sure that it’s even faster than what it was. But I think the baseline we started with is very promising.”
