Renger van der Zande is looking for his next move after Acura’s decision to pause its GTP programme. The Dutchman is clear about where his future should be: prototypes.
Prototype focus remains clear
Van der Zande has spent most of the last 13 years racing in prototype machinery, with only occasional appearances in GT cars. While he acknowledges the strength of the GT field, he sees himself first and foremost as a prototype specialist.
“GT racing has a lot of very good drivers and a lot of specialists,” Van der Zande told GT REPORT. “I think I am one of those in prototypes. Put me in an LMP2, GTP, LMDh or Hypercar and within two corners I know what I need to do and how it works.”
That experience includes development work with both Cadillac and Acura, giving him a strong understanding of the increasingly complex top-level prototype cars.
“These are very complex cars,” he explained. “With the development of the Cadillac and the Acura, I have gained a lot of experience. A lot of test days, a lot of races. So I think my focus is on prototypes.”
For now, the challenge is finding the right opening. Van der Zande says he is already speaking to manufacturers as he looks for a new seat.
“It depends if there is a seat available,” he said. “I am talking to all the manufacturers. Everyone is interested, and we will see where a gap appears.”
Acura exit comes at the wrong moment
The end of Acura’s current GTP programme is a disappointing one for Van der Zande, especially because he feels the project had only just started to come together.
“I think the Acura programme was finally starting to click,” he said. “How we work together, the speed of the car, the speed of the strategy on the pit wall, the engineers and how they set up the car together with the drivers.”
The timing makes the decision harder to accept.
“If you look at the facts, it is a two-year programme and they already pulled the plug after eleven races,” Van der Zande said. “That is a shame and I am quite disappointed. Honda is stopping early, at the high point.”
He added that the decision is frustrating because the programme had only just started to work properly.
“They finally got it together,” he said. “It doesn’t really look like they are thinking long term. We can say goodbye in the short term to programmes that are only just starting to get going.”
America remains home
Although a European programme cannot be ruled out, Van der Zande made clear that America remains his racing home. Asked whether his future could be in Europe or still in IMSA, his answer was simple.
“Home is really America,” he said.
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