In late 2011, van der Zande was at a career crossroads. After a bruising first season in the DTM in an old-spec Mercedes, it wasn’t clear whether there would be space for him the following year. But an unexpected treat came his way in the form of a chance to try his hand in one of the world’s fastest single-seaters.
The invitation to join the post-season rookie test at Fuji Speedway of what was then known as Formula Nippon came from Team Mugen, which was then a one-car outfit. Dissatisfied with its results in 2011 with Naoki Yamamoto, the team was keen to get some feedback from another driver and van der Zande was recommended to the team by Mugen’s European arm.
