Barcelona, 13 May 2012

Renger: ‘I’m starting to discover that unlike the formula cars, the DTMs and the Le Mans Prototypes, these Porsches in the Supercup require a specific driving style. Particularly in the corners, you need to steer in a certain way to build up your grip on the track. That’s a trick you need to master by putting in time on the track – which I’ve hardly been able to do yet. In other words, jumping behind the wheel at the last moment in Bahrain and a free practice session here are basically all the track time I’ve had to date. That’s a handicap right now. Seen in that light, placing eleventh in the qualifying – which you need to pull off in two laps – isn’t that bad. An intensive analysis of Saturday’s driving data meant I was quite confident that I could deliver some fireworks in the race. Travelling all the way to Barcelona for Jack kind of sucks though. But then again, dealing with disappointment is part of the game when you aim to drive at this level, so the best thing right now is to cheer up and grab the next opportunity that comes round. Like my Dad always says: ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen….’

Barcelona, 8 May 2012

‘We only got the green light for the Bahrain race at the very last moment, which meant that we used that weekend as a kind of glorified test run,’ explains Renger. ‘With the experience I gained during that race, I can really tear up the track this time. The Porsche is a truly powerful car that comes with an extensive set of instructions – and I’ve presently mastered the first few pages. In this class, your actual driving skills can make a real difference, so we’ll be lining up with our knives out. I can’t wait to get out on the tarmac!’

Francorchamps, 6 May 2012

The Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps for the World Championship for Le Mans Prototypes came off to a wet start. Occasionally, the rain turned into a downpour – something of a handicap for the Lotus LMP2 team, which had had limited track time, and on a dry track besides. Renger van der Zande handled the start for the team, lining up at the fifth position on the grid. He was more than able to hold his ground in this phase and play it safe. He was putting in some good times, and when he handed the wheel to his team mate Holzer after 90 minutes, Lotus was still on P5 and the fastest Lola behind two Oreca/Nissans and twee Morgan/Judds. The weather had since cleared up and Holzer also drove a fine stint. Around 6, Schultis took over, but unfortunately, he sustained some damage during a spin at the back of the circuit. Still, the team managed to get the car back on the road fairly quickly, although by now, Lotus had slipped back to eighth. At 7:30, Renger got back in the seat for the final offensive. He delivered a tight performance, chalking up better times with each new lap. But in Lap 124, 45 minutes before the end of the race, there was a mishap. After overtaking the car in front of him, Van der Zande’s car was clipped at the heels and ended in the barrier. This ended the race for Team #31. Right before the finish, Lotus ‘hit the wall’, as runners would put it. Nevertheless, the team felt they had put in a good performance with this race.

Renger: ‘Well, that rounds off an exciting weekend… with ups and downs. With only ten laps for training on Thursday and two qualifying laps on Friday, I got to start the day on a wet track. It went well though, and I was settling into a solid rhythm. The track was incredibly busy, with over 40 cars, including the faster LMP1 types and the slower GTs, so I needed to drive extremely clearly. The many overtaking manoeuvres you end up in eventually involve some tight steering. The team worked hard to get the job done and were able to quickly resolve a damage halfway-through. I consider it a big compliment that Lotus asked me to handle the final offensive. Which made it all the worse when it was me of all people who ended up in the Armco. It was going really well, but then I was tapped by the car behind me after I had passed it. That ended the race for me, robbed of an illusion and with a load of damage to the car besides. But nevertheless, we presented our calling card as Team Lotus LMP2.’

All in all, a spectacular entry in the World Endurance Championship for Le Mans Prototypes for the Dutch driver, who up until that point had hardly taken this vehicle type on the track before.

Spa-Francorchamps, 4 May 2012

Renger will be sharing his LMP2 with Thomas Holzer and Mirco Schultis. Lotus selected him as their driver in the qualifying, and he’ll also be the one starting from P5 tomorrow. The drivers will be relieving each other at the wheel over the course of the six-hour race. It was already clear that Renger had a lot to offer Lotus. The team could benefit from the Dutchman’s familiarity with the Ardennes circuit and with the quick optimisation of a car’s tuning. With Lotus’ solid organisation and Renger’s two team members, this LMP2-crew should be able to deliver an impressive performance during this Saturday’s race.

Renger van der Zande: ‘This was off the hook. Yesterday, I took to the track for the first time, doing ten laps. In-between, I pulled in for a pit stop to make some quick adjustments to the car’s clearance, and eventually, I put up the second time of the track in the ninth lap. This morning, the plan was for me to continue practicing – but with a limited amount of fuel in my tank this time, in connection with the qualification weight. But we never came round to this. My team mate, who started off in the morning, was left standing on the circuit after finishing eight laps. Not much you can do after that. As a result, the qualifying was really a case of ‘three-two-one… for god’s sake…’ – pulling out all the stops! You need to get the job done in two laps. Well, that was tougher than expected. Handling a car with a low fuel level is a different thing altogether, and it was still acting a bit dodgy at the rear. We could have tuned that out otherwise. But taking these circumstances into account, I think we can be extremely satisfied. We’ve made a good start in a fantastic class with a fantastic Lotus Team. Tomorrow, we’ll be going full throttle.’

Spa-Francorchamps, 3 may 2012

In fact, expanding into endurance racing was Van der Zande’s first choice of action after leaving Mercedes-Benz Motorsport three months ago. After a successful career in single-seater racing and a season in the DTM, he is looking forward to developing himself in other motorsport disciplines. His primary objective is to become a true all-rounder. In addition, Renger strongly prefers vehicles that have been purposely designed as a race car. And in that case, endurance racing with Le Mans Prototypes is an excellent alternative. It’s a high-tech business, with impressive speeds, and the team, driver and the vehicle all need to deliver a tight performance. The swift Dutch native sees it as a compliment that he of all people was invited to race for the iconic Lotus make, and a confirmation of his professionalism and reputation.

The team will be competing in the LMP2 class. They will be lining up with two cars in Lotus’ distinct black-and-gold livery: a Lola monocoque and a Lotus/Judd V8. Renger will be sharing his vehicle with former F3 driver Thomas Holzer and the bronze veteran Mirco Schultis. The team can prove a formidable contender on the fast Ardennes track.

Renger van der Zande: ‘Another bloody eleventh-hour call… I was actually already preparing for my second race in the Porsche Supercup next week during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. And then this call came in. Pack your bags, polish your helmet and let’s get this show on the road… Before I know it, I’m on the eve of my first serious endurance race with the incredibly hot Lotus LMP. And even better: at Spa-Francorchamps – where having what it takes can really make a difference. I think it’s incredibly cool. It’s a kick-ass start to my 2012 season. At Paul Ricard, I was already impressed by the team’s strong professionalism. Now I’m able to work together with them under racing conditions. This is going to be a primo experience – that much I’m sure of.’

Manama, 22 april 2012

No cakewalk, Renger’s last-minute foray into the Supercup. He only signed the contract with Konrad Motorsport in Bahrain, after which he was off and away in a car he was not familiar with. The qualifying round on Saturday was a question of discovering how to get the best out of the fresh rubber, but Van der Zande only managed to secure tenth place in the starting line-up. The race had its fair share of skirmishes, one result of which was a bent track rod for the Dutchman, who finished eleventh. In the main race on Sunday, he again started in tenth place, and it was soon clear that he was a fast learner. He drove a neat race in the hot sandpit of Bahrain, and with an outstanding manoeuvre in the final round he passed his compatriot, Bleekemolen, to be the seventh over the finishing line.

Renger: “A really bad start … I still have to get the hang of the gears in this car, so I was very near the back of the field at turn one. But it was a great challenge, though, and at the next turn I had already passed a few of the others. I then found myself in a tussle with Robert Lucas, but managed to craftily outmanoeuvre him. He made a miscalculation, causing him to hit Ammermuller, so that was another two. By this time, I had got up to the right speed. There were two more rounds when Bleekemolen and I locked horns and I finally passed him in the final round. Seventh, without any training, is not bad. I am used to high-tech racing cars, like in the singleseaters and the DTM. For me, the difficult part is in simple things so there were a number of things I had to deal with this weekend, all at the same time. But I think it was a successful debut. What I have to do now is discuss things with Franz Konrad and get some more miles under my belt. It was certainly great fun!”

Manama, 21 april 2012

Old hand René Rast won the race, with a neat driving technique and his typically pulsating braking style. Konrad driver Sean Edwards was second, ahead of Norbert Siedler. Debutant Renger was eleventh, after earning only the tenth starting spot in the qualifying round. In fact, qualifying was a kind of training session for the Dutchman, an opportunity to become acquainted with many features of the Porsche racing style. Using fresh rubber to chalk up the ‘fastest round’ also takes some practice in this competition. He certainly put in a lot of speed in the race, but ended up in the sand. The rest of the race was more or less a write-off, given that the grip on his tyres was ruined. But at least Renger has now picked up some experience in this outstanding brand competition. The typical style of braking, developing an efficient driving style that is in keeping with the idiosyncrasies of the car, and a few other details are the things he was able to practise in Race 1.

Renger says, “Well, I did my name no harm in this Bahrain sandpit, although I wasn’t actually planning to end up in the sand. After a second skirmish with Kevin Estre, who was just in front of me, my track rod was bent, so that was that. I had lost all my grip and had to continue the rest of the race with a lot of understeer. But that’s all in the game. For me, it’s about training on the job, here in Bahrain. I’m looking forward to race 2, tomorrow at 11.00.”

Manama, 20 april 2012

Two months ago, Van der Zande hung up his Mercedes-Benz marketing gear. Since that time, the racer has drastically changed tack, and has now launched a massive attack across the board as a true all-round driver. The team boss Franz Konrad, who has gained a great deal of experience with Porsche, recently invited Renger to come strengthen his team. A swift decision by the WCS Group completed the required budget, so that nothing stood in the way of booking the tickets for Bahrain.

The race promises to be quite an adventure for the Dutch native, as he’s starting without any relevant test kilometres, in a car type with its own quirks. But he appears inspired by this challenge more than anything else. His team members at Konrad Motorsport are the experienced drivers Sean Edwards and Christian Engelhart. The WCS Group, an international group of companies for high-quality, multi-language documentation, has stepped up to the plate as one of Renger’s sponsors. WCS CEO Jaap Wilkens did not hesitate to support the Porsche initiative with his marketing team.

Renger: ‘I got a lot of positive response. Of course, Porsche is a household name for racing enthusiasts. What I like most about this competition is that it has the character of a Cup. All drivers pull up with the same equipment. Fine-tuning the vehicles’ road holding and other technical details only have a limited effect. After that, it’s the driver who makes the difference, by being bold and cunning. We’ll be giving it our all.’

‘I’d like to especially thank the WCS Group. They’ve been taking care of the translations on my website for some time now, but now they’ve also stepped in as a sponsor. We’ll be doing some fun things in this context in the months ahead. This last-minute deal was rounded off an hour before the end of driver registrations. I’m proud to be back in the game.’

Le Castellet, 19 april 2012

During the day, Renger drove fifteen laps, and after sunset, he also completed the night test – in total darkness. However, he had no trouble handling this task, so that he was quickly up to the intended speed and managed to hand in an impressive calling card. Next week, the team will announce which members will be taking place behind the wheel during the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the first weekend of May.

Renger: ‘Wow! This was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had in a race car! In terms of characteristics, these LMP2s are somewhere between a Formula Three and a DTM. Nice downforce, lots of power and easy to handle. So during the day, it wasn’t too difficult to rack up some good times on the scoreboard next to the so called bronze drivers and two former Grand Prix racers. But the night-time driving truly blew my mind. You can’t see a thing, and you have minimal points of reference telling you when to brake or steer in. Your lights don’t cover the area around you, so you basically have to rely on your feel for g-forces and bumps in the asphalt. What a fantastic experience. During my first serious lap, I was still three seconds over my afternoon average. But after that, each lap took off another three quarters of a second, so that I was back to my afternoon average in no time. And that means I put up a really good time on the board. After having had a peek at my colleagues’ data, I have to say I’m pretty satisfied. Driving at night is THE BOMB…’

Following his test on the windswept Paul Ricard Circuit on the French Riviera, Renger will be flying to Bahrain to race in the support programme for the Formula One World Championship, which takes place this weekend. His decision to build up an all-rounder programme in the season ahead seems to suit the swift Dutch driver just fine.