Aston Martin DTM outfit R Motorsport has withdrawn from the DTM with immediate effect, after just one season competing in the German touring car series.
Switzerland-based R Motorsport joined the DTM at the start of the 2019 season, running four Aston Martin Vantage DTM cars for Paul di Resta, Daniel Juncadella, Jake Dennis and Ferdinand von Habsburg.
The team only completed its new cars just before the start of the season, and faced struggles during the year with its self-developed engine, leading to a lack of power compared to its Audi and BMW rivals.
The arrival of Aston Martin was considered to be critically important for the DTM, with R Motorsport’s arrival coming off the back of Mercedes’ withdrawal at the end of the previous season.
R Motorsport had worked with former Mercedes partner HWA during 2019, but severed its relationship with the engine partner after a difficult first season.
Juncadella secured the best finish for the Aston Martin squad last year with a sixth-placed finish at the Norisring, with the Spaniard also its best-placed driver in the championship in 14th overall.
Announcing its departure, R Motorsport stated: “The widely noticed debut year of R-Motorsport running four Aston Martin Vantage DTM cars under the exclusive licence of Aston Martin had essentially contributed to the success of DTM during the 2019 season.
“This is considered by the responsible persons within the Swiss team as well as the observers of the series as a success of the project that had been established at short notice in only 90 days.”
Dr. Florian Kamelger, Team Principal explained that R Motorsport, which also runs a GT program in the Blancpain GT Series, was reassessing its motorsport programmes for 2020.
“The reassessment of our motorsport program showed that we want to set new priorities for the future and that the DTM engagement would not be appropriate for us anymore,” said Kamelger.
“What we have decided regarding our 2020 motorsport program we will announce at a later stage.
“However, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you particularly to Gerhard Berger and the ITR, to Dieter Gass and to Jens Marquardt for the common engagement in DTM during our debut season. Especially BMW has been an extraordinary helpful partner for us.”
R Motorsport is said to have sold all four of its cars to an unnamed buyer at the end of the 2019 season.
Its withdrawal leaves just 14 cars on the grid for 2020, with eight Audis and six BMWs. Private team WRT fields two independent Audis, whilst there are currently no privateer BMW teams.