Van der Zande: CGR-Caddy Split ‘Feels Like Parents Divorcing’

Renger van der Zande will “see what the future brings” in the wake of the news that Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac will part ways after the conclusion of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons, adding that it “feels a bit like my parents telling me they’re going to divorce.”

The Dutchman, who will make his 100th WeatherTech Championship start in Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac, is the longest-serving full season driver currently competing with Ganassi.

He has been an integral part in the program since the alliance debuted in the DPi class in 2021 and has taken five wins alongside full season co-drivers Kevin Magnussen and Sebastien Bourdais.

It was revealed on Monday that Ganassi will split with Cadillac, ending a partnership that is currently active in both the WeatherTech Championship and WEC.

Sportscar365 understands that the initial three-year contract between the two parties has not been extended by the American manufacturer.

While Action Express Racing has been tipped to expand its WeatherTech Championship operation to field two Cadillac V-Series.Rs next year, van der Zande is adopting a wait-and-see approach regarding his future.

“We’ll see what happens,” van der Zande told Sportscar365.

“I don’t know where the Cadillac program goes to or what Ganassi is going to do. It’s all up in the air.

“We’ll see what the future brings. And this is part of motorsport. This is what we do.

“At the end of the day, it feels a bit like my parents telling me they’re going to divorce. That’s a bit of the vibe I got out of it.

“I’ve been the longest sitting Cadillac driver since 2018 and also, I’ve been very, very positive with Ganassi, which is just a pure race team with a lot of resources and [there is] like a family vibe here.

“So it’s hard to get that message. But at the same time, this is what the new reality is. And we’ll take it from here.”

Van der Zande first began racing the Cadillac DPi-V.R. during a three-season stint with Wayne Taylor Racing that resulted in back-to-back Rolex 24 at Daytona wins.

His resume with the luxury automaker further included a Motul Petit Le Mans victory in 2020 before joining Ganassi, which allowed him to embark on the “great journey” of stepping into the GTP era with Cadillac.

“That was a great year to get into it,” he said. “Then obviously, the whole development of the new car has been a great journey to be part of.

“Cadillac is a great brand. They are here to race and win races. So, it’s really nice to be part of a group that is here to race and to win.”

Although the 38-year-old indicated that he looked towards WEC with interest for his next career step, he expressed a wish to remain active in the WeatherTech Championship, which he called “his home.”

“For sure, I know this championship very well,” he said.

“I think my driving style suits it very well. I’m very good at the type of racing here in IMSA. I’m ready for another couple of years or maybe ten.”