Mercedes-AMG is dealing with an enormous problem as its collaboration with HWA AG concludes on the finish of November. Hans-Werner Aufrecht’s firm has not solely dealt with the entire model’s manufacturing facility racing programmes exterior of Formulation 1 and Formulation E, nevertheless it has additionally been answerable for all the GT3 venture as a companion since 2010.
It’s understood that the transition from HWA to the in-house Affalterbach Racing GmbH division, which has been beneath improvement since 2024 and is a completely owned subsidiary of AMG, shouldn’t be precisely going easily.
“They’re nonetheless within the preliminary phases,” mentioned an trade insider. “It is all new individuals, and there is a lack of organisation.”
None of this could come as a shock. Affalterbach Racing GmbH (AFB for brief) faces a herculean job: from 2026 onwards, it won’t solely be answerable for constructing all Mercedes-AMG buyer racing automobiles, together with assist and overhauls, but in addition for creating the model’s next-generation GT3 contender.
This comes at a time when AMG CEO Michael Schiebe is leaving Mercedes’ high-performance division, with a successor but to be named. “Many are solely now realising every little thing HWA has truly performed for Mercedes,” mentioned one other supply near the German marque.
Is Mercedes-AMG ready for the transition?
“Because the founding of Affalterbach Racing GmbH final 12 months, the event has been progressing steadily,” mentioned Christoph Sagemuller, head of motorsport at Mercedes-AMG, describing the present standing. “We’re very happy, on schedule, and pleased with the staff we now have constructed thus far.”
This staff consists “primarily of extremely skilled staff from the motorsport sector.”
Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Crew WINWARD Mercedes-AMG GT3
Picture by: Markus Toppmöller
Rumours recommend it now has over 100 members, plus subcontractors. Effectively-informed sources point out that the preliminary plan was for a a lot smaller staff. Moreover, the corporate remains to be promoting positions. Barely fewer than 40 persons are mentioned to be coming from HWA, which is smart given their expertise in buyer racing.
“At Affalterbach Racing GmbH, we’re staffed as deliberate for the present timeframe,” Sagemuller said, denying any miscalculation relating to the focused variety of staff. Nevertheless, he requested for understanding that “we’re maintaining the precise figures to ourselves”.
It has been reported that the swap from HWA AG to AFR GmbH may result in shortages within the coming months, relating to the availability of spare elements for the roughly 300 AMG buyer racing automobiles at present in use. Due to this fact, the groups have been knowledgeable upfront to make sure they’ve ample elements to keep up operations.
“It is regular for there to be some preliminary friction,” defined Thomas Jager, Mercedes-AMG’s sporting director for DTM. “There are numerous elements; a list must be taken. We’re speaking about in all probability 14,000 to fifteen,000 half numbers. It takes time to rely all of them.”
The most important problem, Jager clarified, is “getting the programs up and working once more”. Affalterbach Racing GmbH, which is able to take over from January 2026 after a one-month transition interval, may also take over HWA’s spare elements vans, which ought to guarantee a clean transition.
Requested when the operations may return to normality, Jager replied: “I feel the system will probably be working completely once more for the European season. We positively need to ship the identical top-notch service sooner or later as earlier than – as our clients are used to, and deserve.”
However are the required warehouses and workshops for spare elements and assist at present out there? In Affalterbach, the place AFR GmbH is supposedly headquartered, these are at present nowhere to be discovered. Nonetheless, Sagemuller believes that the corporate is “very effectively geared up by way of area”.
“There may be roughly 2,000 sq. meters of workshop area out there for service and repairs, in addition to 600 sq. meters of workplace workspace,” he added. “And naturally, this additionally contains the required instruments to ensure acceptable service for the present autos.”
Nevertheless, this area is out there not in Affalterbach, however in Unterturkheim, about 20km away, the place the Mercedes-Benz plant is situated and the place the AMG subsidiary staff is at present housed.
That is anticipated to stay the case for over a 12 months, till the deliberate buildings are constructed and prepared for occupancy. The brand new spare elements warehouse is deliberate for Magstadt – about 25km from Unterturkheim and 40km from Affalterbach.
#57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Lumen by way of Getty Photographs
Will HWA stay a Mercedes-AMG service supplier regardless of cut up?
Requested the place the overhaul of engine and transmission elements will probably be carried out, Sagemuller mentioned: “These companies are managed by Affalterbach Racing GmbH.”
He additionally revealed that “the engine overhauls are carried out immediately at Mercedes-AMG itself”. That is an space for which HWA was additionally thought-about a candidate.
Affalterbach Racing GmbH remains to be searching for a service supplier for gearbox overhauls and HWA is among the potential candidates for the contract regardless of the cut up with AMG.
Hans-Werner Aufrecht’s firm, which has had an increasing number of orders withdrawn from Mercedes-AMG for the reason that manufacturing facility’s exit from the DTM on the finish of 2018, though this has since been compensated for with different orders, stays open to additional cooperation.
“We remorse that we are able to now not organise buyer racing for AMG. In spite of everything, we developed the realm from 2010 to 2025 with very profitable and dependable autos and, in my view, an unparalleled aftersales and buyer assist system, and we grew collectively,” HWA Managing Director Martin Marx advised Motorsport.com.
“Though there isn’t a longer a contractual foundation, we stay out there to our neighbours as a companion and repair supplier for assist companies. We’re comfortable to proceed working for AMG, in any case, we share the identical identify.”
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