HWA can't rule out Aston Martin DTM split
HWA says it cannot rule out the prospect of splitting up with the R-Motorsport Aston Martin DTM squad ahead of the 2020 season.

Motorsport.com understands that R-Motorsport, which has confirmed its participation in the DTM for next season, is mulling the make-up of its programme for next season and has explored alternative engine supplies.
The Aston Martin project began the season with a run of reliability problems relating to its Class One engine but had a breakthrough following a mid-season test at Misano before unreliability returned at the end of the season.
Despite building its four Aston Martin Vantage DTMs in just 90 days, the squad scored points in 10 of 18 races in 2019.
HWA and R-Motorsport are linked under the Vynamic partnership, but HWA CEO Ulrich Fritz believes a DTM separation would not necessarily mean an end to the tie-up.
"We are in talks, and have a proposal for cooperation next year with R-Motorsport or AF Racing [as part of Vynamic], placed and discussed," Fritz told Motorsport.com.
"In the end, you have to look together and see what is conceivable for the upcoming season and for years to come."
Asked if he could rule out splitting with HWA, Fritz replied: "No I can't do that. But you have to look at different levels.
"We have long-term cooperation with AFR through the joint venture Vynamic. Never say never - but in the end, I believe that there are different projects. And if you take a critical look at one, it doesn't mean you don't do anything together anymore."
Fritz added that HWA must know R-Motorsport's intentions within the "coming weeks" for technical and logistical reasons.
He said HWA's expansion into Formula 2 and FIA F3 as well as supporting Mercedes' Formula E project means it is no longer "dependent" on the DTM.
Pressed on whether he was confident that R-Motorsport would continue with HWA, Fritz said: "From our point of view, it also has to fit that the whole thing makes sense and there has to be the prospect of being successful."
"This is very important, learning years are part of it - and we had such a learning year now - but has to also have the opportunity to fight for podiums next year."
R-Motorsport wouldn't comment on the speculation, but team boss Florian Kamelger said at the DTM season finale at Hockenheim he was "confident" HWA could turn things around.
He added: "It's a difficult and complicated engine. The others [team bosses], Jens [Marquardt of BMW] and Dieter [Gass of Audi], will confirm that.
"Even a big manufacturer like BMW had its problems with the engines and we all knew that in the first season that this engine would lead to the fact that it will happen more than in the last five, six years.
"There will be engine failures. Of course, we had a couple too many. We were the latest on the grid and the development time was short - maybe it was too short."

Daniel Juncadella, R-Motorsport, Aston Martin Vantage AMR, Jonathan Aberdein, Audi Sport Team WRT, Audi RS 5 DTM
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Previous article
Porsche Supercup team in BMW DTM talks
Next article
BMW shrugs off concerns over Fuji joint race line-up

About this article
Series | DTM |
Author | Tom Errington |
HWA can't rule out Aston Martin DTM split
Trending
WRT Team Audi Sport – 2020 DTM Season Review
DTM 2020: Audi bids farewell
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 2 Highlights
DTM 2020: Race 1 highlights – Hockenheim
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 1 Highlights
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One ruleset, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race.
Does 2000 hold the answers to the DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000.
Why the DTM must reinvent itself after Audi exit
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM at the end of 2020 was the latest blow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive.
Why cynic Berger changed his mind over green tech in racing
DTM boss Gerhard Berger was a detractor of Formula E and held a reluctance for his series to embrace greener engine technologies. However, this cynic's tune has had to change to ensure DTM's existence as the motorsport world moves forward
What the fallout from Aston's engine split means for 2020
Aston Martin's DTM arrival, via the R-Motorsport outfit, was heralded as a salvation of sorts for the series. After plenty of bumps in the road in 2019, the team finds itself in a similar position to the one it was in 12 months ago. Can it get its act together?
How the DTM and Super GT can build on their experiment
The Class One 'Dream Race' staged by the DTM and SUPER GT proved a hit - from a competitive and collaborative standpoint. The next step will be for both parties to ensure a successful trial ends up being more than just that.
Robot pitcrews and hydrogen – is DTM's concept plausible?
DTM organiser ITR has mooted a radical plan for a "truly new and inspiring" future motorsport series. How realistic are its suggestions of automated pitstops and 1000bhp hydrogen-fuelled touring cars?