Why HWA's departure is so big
After decades of cooperation, Mercedes-AMG will stop working with HWA at the end of November. HWA had been a regular partner for the GT3 programme since 2010 and looked after large parts of customer racing, in addition to other racing activities outside Formula 1 and Formula E. The departure leaves a significant gap: parts, overhauls and support for hundreds of racing machines have to be taken over.
Mercedes-AMG has been building up its own Affalterbach Racing GmbH as a 100% subsidiary since 2024. That new organisation should not only take over after-sales and revisions from 2026, but also take care of the development and construction of Mercedes-AMG's new GT3 model. That is a hefty task, especially now that Michael Schiebe, AMG's chief performance officer, is also leaving the company without a visible successor.
Practical bottlenecks and planning
According to insiders, the transition is not running smoothly. More than 100 people now work at Affalterbach Racing GmbH, plus hired parties. Yet they are said to have initially reckoned with fewer staff. Mercedes-DSport chief Christoph Sagemüller says the build-up is going according to plan and that the team consists mainly of experienced motorsport staff.
Important logistical tasks are still on the agenda. Tens of thousands of parts need to be inventoried and moved. Thomas Jäger, responsible for DTM within Mercedes-AMG, cites numbers of probably 14,000 to 15,000 part numbers. Teams have been informed in advance to secure supplies so that the operation of some 300 AMG customer cars does not grind to a halt.
Facilities are partly temporarily arranged for the time being. Affalterbach Racing officially has about 2,000 m² of workshop space and 600 m² of office space, but much of the work is taking place for the time being in Untertürkheim, about 20 km from Affalterbach. The new parts warehouse is planned in Magstadt (about 25 km from Untertürkheim and 40 km from Affalterbach). According to Jäger, systems should be running smoothly again around the European season start; transitional logistics such as HWA's parts LKWs should help ensure that.
HWA may remain involved
Not everything has been definitively cut off. For engine overhauls, Affalterbach Racing says they will be carried out directly at Mercedes-AMG. For gear overhauls, the new organisation is still looking for an external service provider. HWA is mentioned as a possible partner in this regard, despite the formal end of the partnership.
HWA managing director Martin Marx says his company regrets that customer sports work for AMG is ending. At the same time, HWA is making itself available as a partner and service provider for support work. This leaves the door open for cooperation where it proves useful.
- HWA handled many AMG customer sports activities since 2010.
- Affalterbach Racing GmbH was built up as a 100% subsidiary of Mercedes-AMG from 2024.
- More than 100 employees are now active at the new organisation.
- Around 14,000-15,000 item numbers need to be inventoried and transferred.
- Stock and service locations: provisionally in Untertürkheim; warehouse planned in Magstadt.
The transition is therefore a logistical and organisational challenge, but Mercedes-AMG stresses that the pace and quality of customer support must be maintained. Whether Affalterbach Racing GmbH can live up to that in time remains exciting - with both risks and opportunities for the coming seasons.
EN 
NL 
DE