HWA Team
The HWA Team, also known as HWA RACELAB, is the motorsport racing arm of HWA AG, a German engineering and high-performance vehicle development company founded in 1998 by Hans Werner Aufrecht in Affalterbach.[1] Specializing in automotive racing technology, the team was established in 2018 to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship as an all-electric racing outfit, fielding notable drivers such as Gary Paffett, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Nyck de Vries.[2] HWA RACELAB earned recognition as the best rookie team by the end of its inaugural 2018–19 Formula E season. HWA's operational support to the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team contributed to that team's securing the teams' world championship and Nyck de Vries' drivers' title in the 2020–21 season.[2] Following this pinnacle, the team transitioned away from direct Formula E competition, providing technical support to the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E team starting from the 2019–20 season, while expanding into junior open-wheel series.[2] In 2020, HWA RACELAB entered the FIA Formula 2 Championship, followed by the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2021, competing through the end of the 2021 season with drivers including Artem Markelov, Giuliano Alesi, and Matteo Nannini, before withdrawing from these series at the end of 2021 to refocus resources.[3] As of November 2025, HWA AG's motorsport operations emphasize engineering support rather than fielding independent teams, producing approximately 700 customer racing vehicles and providing comprehensive services for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing programs.[4] In recent years, HWA has also developed the HWA EVO, a modernized version of the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, with first units delivered by late 2025 and a planned race entry in 2026.[5] This includes developing and building cars compliant with FIA GT3, GT4, GT2, and related regulations for sprint and endurance races worldwide, such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours—where HWA-supported entries claimed a quadruple victory in 2016—and the FIA GT World Cup in Macau.[4] The company's expertise extends to on-site technical assistance, strategy, spare parts logistics, and homologation services, underscoring its role as a key partner in global GT racing ecosystems.[4]Background and Formation
Company Origins
HWA AG was founded on October 30, 1998, by Hans-Werner Aufrecht in Affalterbach, Germany, as a spin-off from AMG GmbH following its acquisition by DaimlerChrysler AG.[6][7] Aufrecht, who had co-established AMG in 1967 with Erhard Melcher, retained control over the motorsport division and certain engineering assets during the sale, transferring them to the newly formed HWA GmbH (later restructured as HWA AG in 2006) to preserve his vision for performance development.[6][8] This separation allowed HWA to operate independently while maintaining close ties to Mercedes-Benz, focusing initially on advanced engineering rather than broad production.[9] From its inception, HWA emphasized high-performance vehicle development, particularly in collaboration with Mercedes-AMG.[10] A key early project was the production of the limited-edition Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Straßenversion, a road-legal supercar derived from the FIA GT racing prototype, manufactured from 1998 to 2002 with 25 units built (20 coupés and 5 roadsters).[11][12] HWA oversaw the assembly and refinement of these vehicles at its Affalterbach facility, incorporating race-bred components like a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing over 600 horsepower to meet homologation requirements while ensuring street usability.[10][13] HWA's initial engineering efforts also extended to collaborations with Mercedes on racing prototypes and customer vehicles, providing specialized development for high-performance components and custom builds.[9] These partnerships underscored HWA's role as an extension of Mercedes' performance ecosystem, leveraging Aufrecht's expertise to bridge road and track applications without direct competition involvement at the outset.[8] This foundation in engineering innovation positioned HWA for its later expansion into dedicated motorsport operations under the HWA Team banner.[6]Motorsport Division Launch
The motorsport division of HWA AG, which later formed the basis for the HWA Team (also known as HWA RACELAB), was established in late 1998 following the transfer of AMG's racing operations to the newly founded company, with initial competitive activities commencing in 1999–2000, primarily in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) from 2000.[9][2] This launch positioned HWA as a dedicated entity for high-level motorsport engagement, drawing directly from founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht's extensive AMG heritage in performance engineering and racing.[1] The initial infrastructure was centered at HWA's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, where facilities were outfitted for comprehensive car development, engine tuning, and team management to support professional racing programs.[14] These capabilities enabled rapid scaling from prototype testing to full operational support, leveraging the site's proximity to Mercedes-Benz resources for integrated engineering workflows.[1] A pivotal early milestone came in 2011 with HWA's first major contract to develop and support Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 racing cars under FIA GT3 regulations, marking the entry into customer racing programs with the SLS AMG GT3 as the inaugural model.[15] This partnership solidified HWA's role in producing homologated race vehicles, emphasizing in-house expertise in aerodynamics, chassis dynamics, and powertrain optimization compliant with international standards.[15] The HWA Team, under the name HWA RACELAB, was formally launched in 2018 to expand into the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.[2]Historical Narrative
DTM Era (2000–2018)
HWA entered the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in 2000 as the official factory team for Mercedes-Benz, debuting with the Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM and clinching the inaugural Teams' Championship of the series' revival. This marked the beginning of a dominant era, with the team securing consecutive Teams' Championships from 2000 to 2003, leveraging the CLK-DTM's advanced aerodynamics and 4.0-liter V8 engine to outperform rivals like Audi and Opel. The partnership with Mercedes-Benz solidified HWA's role in vehicle development, construction, and operations, contributing to over 100 race victories during the period.[6][16] The 2004 season brought significant regulatory changes, including a mandatory shift to naturally aspirated V8 engines and four-door sedan bodywork, which required rapid adaptation and temporarily halted Mercedes-HWA's title streak as competitors like Audi capitalized on the new specifications. HWA responded by developing the C-Klasse DTM sedan, incorporating the new V8 powerplant that the team fully engineered on behalf of Mercedes-Benz, enabling a strong recovery with back-to-back Teams' Championships in 2005 and 2006. These successes underscored HWA's expertise in engine tuning and chassis optimization under evolving rules.[6] Following a brief dip, HWA reclaimed dominance with three straight Teams' Championships from 2008 to 2010 using refined versions of the C-Klasse DTM. In 2012, another major regulatory overhaul introduced Class 1 standards with standardized safety cells, turbocharged V8 engines, and revised aerodynamics, prompting a transition to the Mercedes-AMG C-Coupé DTM and presenting initial performance hurdles amid intensified competition from BMW's return. Despite these challenges, HWA's strategic focus on in-house V8 engine development—producing units compliant with the 4.0-liter turbo rules—paved the way for renewed success, including Teams' Championships in 2015 and 2018.[17][6] Throughout the era, HWA served as Mercedes-Benz's primary factory team, managing up to six cars per season and handling all aspects of engineering, from aerodynamics to powertrain integration, until Mercedes' announced withdrawal at the end of 2018 to prioritize Formula 1 and electric racing. This period yielded 11 Teams' Championships for HWA in the DTM, establishing the team as the series' most successful outfit.[18][6]Single-Seater Expansion (2018–2021)
In 2018, following Mercedes-Benz's withdrawal from the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), HWA AG announced its entry into the ABB FIA Formula E Championship for the 2018–19 season under the name HWA RACELAB, utilizing Venturi's powertrain and chassis as a customer team.[19][20] This move served as a strategic proxy for Mercedes to gain experience in electric racing technology ahead of its own full factory entry in the following season.[21] HWA's involvement in Formula E was limited to that single season, after which its entry was transferred to the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team for 2019–20, with HWA providing ongoing operational support.[2] Building on this electric racing foothold, HWA expanded into junior single-seater categories to develop young talent and leverage its Mercedes affiliations for driver pathways. In October 2018, HWA RACELAB was confirmed as one of ten teams for the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2019, entering as a new outfit to focus on targeted talent scouting and development.[22][23] The team participated through the 2021 season, emphasizing operational growth in open-wheel racing despite challenges in establishing competitiveness. By late 2021, HWA sold its Formula 3 assets and entry to Van Amersfoort Racing, exiting the series ahead of the 2022 campaign.[24][25] HWA further broadened its single-seater presence by entering the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2020, acquiring the entry, cars, and equipment from BWT Arden after a prior technical partnership in 2019.[26][27] This acquisition allowed HWA to build on Arden's infrastructure while integrating its engineering expertise to support Mercedes' junior driver program. However, operational hurdles, including resource strain from multiple series, prompted a full withdrawal from Formula 2 at the end of the 2021 season, with assets transferred to Van Amersfoort Racing for 2022.[28][29] Throughout this period, HWA's single-seater initiatives were driven by synergies with Mercedes, aiming to advance electric propulsion knowledge from Formula E while fostering talent pipelines through Formula 3 and Formula 2. In July 2019, HWA also announced plans to join the Extreme E series, but ultimately did not participate due to the championship's postponement from 2020 to 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to its replacement by another entrant.[30][31] These expansions highlighted HWA's ambition to diversify beyond touring cars, though rapid entries and exits underscored the logistical challenges of managing a multi-series program.Transition to Engineering Focus (2022–Present)
Following the withdrawal from the FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 Championships at the end of the 2021 season, HWA AG shifted its strategic emphasis toward research and development for customer racing programs, leveraging its extensive motorsport expertise to support global teams rather than operating as a direct competitor.[3][32] This refocus allowed HWA to prioritize engineering innovations in high-performance vehicles, culminating in the production of more than 700 Mercedes customer GT cars by mid-2024, a milestone that underscores the company's deepened commitment to scalable R&D for sprint and endurance applications.[33] In 2024, HWA expanded into the FIA World Endurance Championship as the technical partner for Isotta Fraschini's Tipo 6 LMH-C hypercar for that season, developing the vehicle's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine in collaboration with Michelotto Engineering to meet LMH regulations; Isotta Fraschini withdrew from the championship in August 2024 after the opening rounds.[34][35][36] HWA's ongoing support for Mercedes-AMG customer teams remains a core pillar of its operations, encompassing the development and production of GT3, GT4, and GT2 variants of the Mercedes-AMG GT for use in international sprint and endurance series.[15] These vehicles are built at HWA's Affalterbach facility and delivered with comprehensive service packages, enabling customer teams to compete effectively worldwide while HWA provides on-site technical assistance and component supply.[4] By the end of 2025, this program continues to evolve, with HWA maintaining its role in vehicle homologation and performance optimization without direct entries in single-seater categories; instead, its supported Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams participate in events such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours.[37][38]Series-Specific Involvement
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
HWA Team entered the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in 2000 as Mercedes-AMG's factory-supported squad and competed through the 2018 season, establishing itself as one of the series' most dominant outfits. During this era, the team captured fourteen teams' championships, including in the years 2000–2003, 2005–2006, 2008–2010, 2015, and 2018, often leveraging superior engineering and driver talent to outperform rivals like Audi and BMW.[6] The team's competitive record includes over 100 race wins across the 19 seasons, with standout performances in multiple campaigns where HWA drivers swept podiums and poles. Drivers' titles were secured by Bernd Schneider with four championships (2000, 2001, 2003, 2006) and Gary Paffett with two (2005, 2018), highlighting the consistency of HWA's lineup and strategy. Additional drivers' crowns came via Paul di Resta in 2010 and Pascal Wehrlein in 2015, contributing to a total of eight individual titles for the team.[9][39] Technically, HWA's DTM program featured progressive vehicle development, starting with the Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM in 2000, which utilized a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 engine tuned in-house to deliver approximately 455 hp and comply with silhouette racing regulations. Subsequent iterations included the CLK-DTM variants through 2005, transitioning to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé DTM from 2006 onward, and culminating in the Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM by 2015, where the V8 engine output exceeded 500 hp through refined tuning, enhanced airflow, and aerodynamic optimizations while adhering to evolving DTM specs like reduced downforce and hybrid elements in later years.[40][41]Season-by-Season Overview
HWA's performance varied across seasons, with dominant championship runs interspersed by competitive battles. The following tables summarize key team and top driver standings, focusing on championship-contending results; full grids included up to three factory entries per event in most years. HWA secured 14 teams' championships in total during its DTM involvement (2000–2018); the tables highlight selected years.Teams' Standings (Selected Championship Years)
| Year | Team Position | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1st | 78 | Mercedes-AMG dominance with multiple wins |
| 2001 | 1st | 74 | Back-to-back title defense |
| 2002 | 1st | 68 | Consistent podiums across entries |
| 2003 | 1st | 82 | Nine victories in ten races |
| 2005 | 1st | 76 | Paffett's breakthrough season |
| 2006 | 1st | 72 | Schneider's fourth crown |
| 2008 | 1st | 80 | Strong recovery from prior year |
| 2009 | 1st | 75 | Multiple driver podiums |
| 2010 | 1st | 85 | Di Resta's title-clinching run |
| 2015 | 1st | 225 | Wehrlein's rookie dominance; points system updated |
| 2018 | 1st | 300 | Farewell season sweep with Paffett |
Drivers' Standings (HWA Top Performers in Championship Years)
| Year | Driver | Position | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bernd Schneider | 1st | 78 | 4 |
| 2001 | Bernd Schneider | 1st | 74 | 3 |
| 2002 | Bernd Schneider | 2nd | 64 | 2 |
| 2003 | Bernd Schneider | 1st | 82 | 5 |
| 2005 | Gary Paffett | 1st | 76 | 5 |
| 2006 | Bernd Schneider | 1st | 72 | 3 |
| 2008 | Paul di Resta | 2nd | 67 | 1 |
| 2009 | Gary Paffett | 2nd | 59 | 4 |
| 2010 | Paul di Resta | 1st | 85 | 6 |
| 2015 | Pascal Wehrlein | 1st | 192 | 3 |
| 2018 | Gary Paffett | 1st | 255 | 3 |