Paul Jeffrey
Premium
RaceDepartment member and former DTM and Blancpain race winner Daniel Juncadella has signed for the new Aston Martin R-Motorsport DTM programme.
Juncadella has joined the R-Motorsport Aston Martin team for the coming DTM season, the experienced and highly talented 27-year-old Spaniard partnering up with former champion Paul di Resta and Jake Dennis at the new squad, adding his name to the outfit alongside fellow new recruit, young Austrian European Formula Three driver Ferdinand Habsburg.
Having announced their intention to join the DTM grid for 2019 with the all new Aston Martin Vantage, R-Motorsport have very much laid down a signal of intent with their four strong driving team, partnering the undoubted speed and experience of di Resta and Juncadella alongside the youth and potential of Dennis and Habsburg for the coming season.
Although the small squad will certainly be up against it taking on the factory might of BMW and Audi, the outfit are well placed to hit the ground running thanks to having taken over much of the HWA assets that ran the works Mercedes team in the category up to the end of 2018 - a strong package that should give the new team plenty of confidence heading into this new partnership with the legendary Aston Martin brand.
For his own part, Juncadella is more than pleased to continue his stay in the DTM, the category offering something of an unfinished piece of business for the likeable Spanish racer:
"Last year it seemed like there was going to be a change in my sporting life, since it was the last year of Mercedes [in the DTM] and the idea was to continue being linked to them," he told Motorsport.com.
"It was a good year for me in the DTM in many aspects, although the final result in the championship did not show it. I wanted to continue here, especially with the change in regulations."
With Juncadella and former Formula One driver and past DTM champion Paul di Resta expected to lead the Aston Martin charge this season, it will be down to the inexperienced pairing of Dennis and Habsburg to learn the ropes quickly in the year ahead - as both look to make their debut in one of the toughest categories of touring car racing in the world:
“I’m really looking forward to my DTM debut,” said Habsburg. “Competing in this highly professional premium championship is a big challenge.
"It won’t be easy for me as a newcomer, lining up alongside some the world’s top touring car drivers. Consequently, my objective will be to learn as much as I can in the shortest time possible and in that way step up my performance from race to race.”
With many predicting doom and gloom for the series following Mercedes decision to depart for pastures new in 2019, the entrance of the Aston Martin brand, and the retention of top talent the likes of di Resta and Juncadella, is a much needed shot in the arm for one of the great racing categories in motorsport."It won’t be easy for me as a newcomer, lining up alongside some the world’s top touring car drivers. Consequently, my objective will be to learn as much as I can in the shortest time possible and in that way step up my performance from race to race.”
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