Van der Zande “Surprised” in “Very Positive” First LMDh Laps

Photo: No Name

Renger van der Zande said he’s been “enjoying driving every meter” in Cadillac’s LMDh car, following his initial laps behind the wheel of the Dallara-chassied machine at Sebring International Raceway.

The Dutchman was joined by fellow Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais for a five-day test at the Florida circuit alongside the new Porsche 963, marking the first group running between LMDh manufacturers.

Following a shakedown of the car by Bamber last week, van der Zande turned his first laps in Cadillac’s yet-to-be-named prototype on Tuesday and told Sportscar365 that he was left with a solid first impression.

“I’m very positive and surprised about the whole running and the amount of laps we were doing,” said van der Zande. “We just kept running.

“It’s a testament to the people that put the systems in that car. It’s been really good so far.

“Every minute in the car I enjoyed. It’s obviously summer in Florida which is pretty hot. But I think it’s a perfect time to go testing because you’re trying to find the limits of the materials. That’s why we’re here now.”

Van der Zande and Bamber shared testing duties of the V8-powered LMDh car in the first two days of running, with CGR teammates Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais getting seat time later in the week.

“From the first time you roll out a car like this until we’re actually racing, there’s going to be so much changes and development,” said van der Zande.

“We’re in the very early stages. We’re trying to find the limits of materials, we’re trying to find the limits of the different systems that we have on the car. We’re trying to let those systems communicate with each other.

“It’s so nice to be part of a project from the very, very beginning. We’re going to look back at these tests and say, ‘Wow, we’re really molding the car and systems to what we think we need to go and win races with in the future.’ 

“There’s a lot of people and companies involved. Everyone’s here with the same goal, and that makes for a pretty special atmosphere being part of the project from the beginning.”

When asked if they were able to establish a baseline from the initial running, van der Zande said he sees a number of areas for improvement, but nothing out of the ordinary for a brand-new car.

“The improvements are in all of the sections,” he said. “It’s such a raw car now where there’s so many items and topics that can improve. Some are bigger than others. 

“We’re talking about the brakes, the systems, the hybrid, engine, gearbox, the electronics and programming side of it… All of those components will be improved [over time].

“I think that’s why in a few months from now we’re going to look back and say, ‘Wow.’ 

“It’s such a steep learning curve but it’s a really fun project to be a part of. You can feel the energy in the team. Everybody is very motivated to make this successful.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John