Renger van der Zande was unhurt after the massive shunt at Eau Rouge.
FIA World Endurance Championship / Twitter
Today’s FIA World Endurance Championship race is at Spa-Francorchamps, which means the new field of LMDh and LMH-based Hypercar contenders have to reckon with the flat-out Eau Rouge. As Cadillac’s Renger van der Zande learned, it is still one of the last places in racing you want anything to go wrong.
SAFETY CAR 🟡
Massive crash for the #3 Cadillac at the top of the Raidillon. Driver ok.#WEC #6HSpa pic.twitter.com/r02J1oqWAe
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 29, 2023
The Cadillac was in the middle of a tight on-track battle with both Ferrari 499 Ps when van der Zande suddenly came out of the Raidillon, the right-hander after Eau Rouge, wide. The car then slid sideways before hitting the outside wall with the opposite side of the nose, slamming sideways into the barrier and instantly shredding everything on the right side of the car’s tub.
Incredibly, Renger van der Zande climbed from the car under his own power in front of the packed grandstand behind the barrier. The issue was a reported power steering failure, which left van der Zande out of control at one of the fastest points on track. Chip Ganassi Racing’s other team entry, the No. 2 Cadillac, was able to stay in the race and continue to fight for a podium.
Cadillac plans to bring three of its new V-LMDh cars to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, including one that will be co-piloted by van der Zande. The car took its first win at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring, but the team has yet to fight for a win against the dominant Toyota GR010s in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Keyword: This Massive Cadillac WEC Crash Shows Why Spa Is Still Terrifying