ORECA switch boosting Team Nederland

Racing Team Nederland owner and driver Frits van Eerd is looking for podium finishes in the 2019-20 FIA WEC season, after switching to an ORECA 07 Gibson LMP2 chassis from a Dallara P217.

Van Eerd's team scored its first FIA WEC class pole today at Silverstone, after a superb effort from Job van Uitert and Giedo van der Garde in qualifying, the duo showing the TDS Racing-run outfit's potential with an 07 Gibson this season.

https://twitter.com/FIAWEC/status/1167766850798858242?s=20

“I’m driving around Silverstone with a big smile!" van Eerd told RACER. "This is really a tough circuit for a bronze driver, with this kind of speed. It’s such a huge difference, compared to what we had last year and the year before with the Dallara, so I’m a very, very happy man.

“Today, for me, it was so much easier to compete with the other LMP2s. If you look at the times, I’m the quickest bronze driver, and it’s all new to me. I’m not used to the car and the setup, but it feels so comfortable. It feels good and I’m happy.”

“A victory would be beyond my dreams," he continued. "My dream is to be on the podium in a world championship (race) and I think we have a fair chance, put it that way. We need a bit of luck; everyone needs some luck, but we have more chance than ever before.”

More Le Mans/WEC

McLaren names its forthcoming Hypercar the MCL-HY

With Alpine’s impending Hypercar exit, what’s next for Signatech?

Garage 59 stars while WRT shows championship potential on WEC opening weekend

Van Eerd added that he feels a WEC race would work well on the support bill for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in the future. He would love to see the WEC race on his home soil for the first time.

“Seriously, I’ve been thinking about it," he said. "What we should think about is why is WEC not on the same weekends as Formula 1? That should be possible, and now Zandvoort has been put on the F1 calendar again.

"So yes, I think we should go back to Holland, because I would like to have some great promotion with Jumbo (the supermarket chain he owns) in Zandvoort; that would be a great combination. So let’s think about it. I know a lot of people, and hopefully they become as an energetic as I am about the idea.”