Renger van der Zande out of Mercedes DTM team

Renger van der Zande is not going to be part of the Mercedes team in this year’s Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
“It’s the way things are in car racing right now. In Formula 1, too, the majority of seats have been bought. That means that those of us who mainly rely on their talent and their track record will have to jostle for a good seat,” said Van der Zande.

Van der Zande made his debut in the DTM for Mercedes last year, failing to score points. The Dutchman states that the reason he lost his seat is most likely due to that Mercedes want to have a driver from North America.

Van der Zande hopes to reveal his new plans for the 2012 season within weeks.
“I’m not that bothered myself: I see it as a fact of life. I entered the international arena at a wrong time, and unfortunately, I don’t have a large home base or ‘rich uncle’ to offer. I am very happy about the fact that I am a welcome face to many team managers in relevant car racing classes,” said Van der Zande.

Mercedes are reported to be negotiating with Canadian driver Robert Wickens.