Sheldon van der Linde discusses the unique challenge of the BMW Hypercar debut at Le Mans.

Sheldon Van Der Linde, from South Africa, is about to make his debut at the Le Mans race and expressed his emotions about the opportunity. He mentioned that, unlike other drivers who usually start in the GT car to gain experience and get to know the track, he went straight into the Hypercar category, which is a unique and challenging experience for him. Van Der Linde is a well-established BMW driver, having won the 2022 DTM title with the German brand. However, he has little experience at Le Mans and in the GT categories. Despite this, he feels confident due to his previous races in the M Hybrid V8 and his experience at Daytona and Sebring. He acknowledged that there is still much to learn about the track and its secrets. The BMW team, including Van Der Linde and his co-driver Robin Frijns, will face strong competition from Porsche, Toyota, and Ferrari, who have performed well in the 2024 FIA WEC campaign. However, Van Der Linde believes there is more potential in the BMW package and they will adjust the setup to improve their performance throughout the weekend.