Van der Linde defeated Mercedes’ Lucas Auer and Audi star Rene Rast in what turned out to be a three-way showdown to clinch BMW’s first drivers’ title in the DTM since 2016.
Although the South African arrived at the former Formula 1 venue with a healthy 11-point lead over nearest rival Auer, things quickly took a turn for the worse when he was hit with a 10-place grid penalty for a tyre infringement, leaving him 16th on the grid for the opening race of the weekend.
