A new challenger enters the arena: AF Racing and HWA bring R-Motorsport and Aston Martin into the DTM
AF Racing AG and HWA AG are collaborating as a joint venture company on plans for a DTM project. The new team will be fielding cars sporting the badge of the illustrious British brand, Aston-Martin. The requisite licence from Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd is held by AF Racing AG.
Entry in the DTM means that the continued presence of the most successful team in the history of the series is now assured. No team has managed to rack up as many victories, podiums and titles as HWA AG. Accordingly, the Affalterbach-based outfit will have prime responsibility for the racing, development and testing aspects in the 2019 DTM. HWA AG thus remains true to its core competence which extends to the production and support of benchmark products in motorsport and limited-edition series. By contrast, the USP of AF Racing AG is its excellent access to the relevant market and customers. By pooling their resources, they present an ideal combination.
Dr Florian Kamelger, co-owner of AF Racing AG and Team Principal of R-Motorsport: “Entering the DTM is a great challenge for our joint venture. We are relying on the expertise of our partners at HWA AG, the most successful company in the history of the DTM, with whom we will take the DTM project forward. The aim of our joint venture in the DTM is to plan out our involvement in the series with the appropriate level of resources whilst maintaining cost-efficiency. The industry has long been successful in adhering to this principle; in motorsport we are one of the pioneers of this very sensible approach.”
Ulrich Fritz, CEO of HWA AG: “The very heart of the DTM is to be found beating in Affalterbach. This is where the ‘new era’ DTM was given a major boost, and it is home to the most successful team in the history of the series, namely HWA AG. After the many successful years we have spent collaborating with Mercedes-AMG, the entire team is thrilled to be writing a new chapter in the DTM with R-Motorsport and Aston Martin. In our planned joint venture, we have created an excellent basis for building on the successes of the past. It will certainly be a big challenge for all of us, but we will do our utmost to bring a competitive package to the start of the DTM season.”
In addition to ensuring that the DTM mission goes well, the aim of the joint venture is a strategic innovation partnership for development projects in motor racing and in the automotive sector. It will be responsible for the design and construction of racing cars, including those destined for the DTM, as well as the small-scale series production of high-performance vehicles for the road.
About AF Racing AG:
Emotion, passion, vision – these are the qualities that set AF Racing AG apart. The fledgling motorsport company came to prominence this year when its R-Motorsport racing team won the three-hour Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup race at Silverstone. In addition to its ever-growing presence in motorsport, the Swiss company is also involved in the automotive sector. Along with Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd and Red Bull Technologies, AF Racing is a strategic partner of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hyper sports car project. Through its R-Motorsport team, AF Racing AG is mainly active in international GT3 competitions such as the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in which it fields Aston Martin Vantage GT3 cars. R-Motorsport is also the motor racing division of Aston Martin St Gallen, the only exclusive Aston Martin dealer in Switzerland and a company affiliated with AF Racing AG. With its sister brand R-Reforged, AF Racing AG is active in the business of vehicle refinement and associated small-scale series production.
About HWA AG
HWA AG is an independent, 360° engineering specialist in the fields of automobile racing and high-performance cars. Formed in 1998 by Hans Werner Aufrecht, the company is based in Affalterbach (Germany) and employs roughly 300 highly-qualified members of staff. HWA AG offers all its products and services under the motto ENGINEERING SPEED: The company’s objective is to develop the best possible, high-quality solutions, in order to get its partners and customers to their destination quicker. The portfolio of services ranges from designing all vehicle components to assembling complete cars, together with the relevant logistics, after-sales and support services.
