R-Motorsport DTM Exit ‘Frees Up’ Resources for Hypercar

R-Motorsport’s exit from DTM frees up the team’s resources for the “primary goal” of running Aston Martin Valkyries in Le Mans Hypercar, according to team principal Dr. Florian Kamelger.

The Swiss team called quits on its DTM program after a single season, with confirmation coming last week that they would not continue in the German touring car series in 2020.

While its DTM program has been shelved, R-Motorsport has been a partner of the Valkyrie hypercar road car project and could potentially run the production-based Le Mans Hypercar in the FIA World Endurance Championship by as early as the 2020-21 season.

“It obviously does free some resources, the question is where you put them,” Kamelger told Sportscar365 of the team’s exit from DTM.

“It’s definitely a goal and I never made a secret of that to be running as R-Motorsport in WEC and in Le Mans. Our primary goal is obviously Hypercar so yes we will put some fair resources into it.”

Kamelger, however, declined to confirm plans or a timeframe for its targeted entry.

“We have the resources and capabilities to run an endurance program,” he said.

“As we all know we’re heavily linked to the [Jota Sport] team in Kent, which knows how to run WEC as well. I think even here we have the recipe to make such a thing [WEC] work.”

When asked by Sportscar365 when an update can be expected on the Hypercar project, Kamelger answered: “you will have to ask Aston.”

The British manufacturer has maintained its party line of saying that the program is still “full steam ahead” but details have yet to emerge since its initial announcement at Le Mans last June.

It released a statement last month regarding the new joint IMSA-ACO LMDh platform, indicating that is looking forward to “working closely” with the sanctioning bodies to ensure Hypercar retains its “proper position” within global sports car competition.

Kamelger: Worth Pushing Forward with Hypercar

Speaking from a personal perspective, Kamelger says he believes a Hypercar program should still be pursued despite the introduction of the more cost-effective LMDh option, which will debut in the WEC beginning with the 2021-22 season.

“From a global motorsport perspective, it is a good route,” he said of convergence. “Maybe it’s not the end of the road but it’s a good route.

“Having said that, obviously there are people out there who are afraid that it compromises Hypercar because that gets Hypercar into the corner where manufacturers have to invest heavily into the development of a hypercar for basically one race, really.

“We have to go to all the manufacturers and ask them what they think about going further with Hypercar; I think it has to be done because it’s a bloody cool approach and again, I’m eager to go that route.

“As far as I can answer this question from my personal point of view, I think it’s worth it, yeah.”