Van der Zande: ‘Never actually raced in Valencia’

This weekend sees the final DTM race of the 2011 season, which means the field descends on Valencia once again; not the street setting which hosts the Formula 1 race, but the more traditional Circuito Ricardo Tormo on the outskirts of the city.Located close to the town of Cheste, the venue is frequently used throughout the year, be it for Formula 1 testing in February or a selection of motor racing formulae, both national and international. So, although he may not have raced in Valencia, Renger van der Zande is returning to familiar territory nonetheless.

“GP3 is a good example,” says the Dutch Mercedes driver. “I have racked up many kilometres here but, funnily enough, never actually raced on the circuit. It’s a tight and twisty job, where overtaking can be very difficult.

“Of course I have done my homework and Audi has been the dominant force here in recent years; hopefully Mercedes learned a lot from that and we can respond this weekend. It’s a nice track, the weather is beautiful and so is the city. Let’s go!”