MOTORSPORT: Benz boss says Erebus talks "positive"

The global boss of AMG Customer Sports has described contract negotiations for a renewal with Erebus Motorsport V8 as "positive", but also concedes that if Betty Klimenko’s privateer team got a better offer he would not oppose a move to another manufacturer.

"As long as we have not signed a contract I think it is logical for a team to look after possibilities for next year," AMG Customer Sports head Jochen Bitzer told motoring.com.au while attending the Wilson Security Sandown 500.

Erebus overcame strong local Mercedes-Benz resistance to join the V8 Supercars Championship in 2013, eventually gaining a two-year Customers Sports deal to campaign the E63 AMG.

But Erebus has been in confirmed discussions with Volvo about swapping for 2015. The Swedish brand is potentially offering semi-manufacturer support as part of a plan to grow the number of S60s on the grid from the two campaigned by Garry Rogers on behalf of Volvo Polestar Racing.

Erebus receives no income from the AMG Customer Sports arrangement. It actually spent millions of dollars with AMG and its motorsport supplier HWA developing its V8 Supercars.

However, almost all technical work is now carried out by Erebus in-house, so the income from the deal has also dried up for AMG. Which means a new contract would basically be a licensing agreement, with some support from local distributor Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific in terms of loan cars and panels possibly included.

Bitzer had extensive talks with Erebus Motorsport CEO Ryan Maddison and Klimenko at Sandown about a new contract. They were an extension of negotiations that have been going on very publicly for some months now, although this was his first visit to Australia to witness the team’s V8 Supercars and GT programs since he took on the Customer Sports role in January.

Bitzer confirmed he was aware of the Volvo discussions.

"It’s okay for us and we know it and we have open and positive discussions," he said.

However, he clammed up when asked if a concrete offer from Volvo would prompt a counter from AMG that might boost assistance to Erebus to keep it racing the E 63.

"I think that is a little bit too much in detail now part of our discussions," he said.

Instead Bitzer preferred to emphasise negotiations on a new deal were "positive" and there were no "negatives" in the relationship from the Mercedes-Benz and AMG perspective.

This position is a far cry from the cold war that existed in the months before and after the original deal was done despite the strong opposition of M-B A/P. The thawing was emphasised even further by the attendance at Sandown of senior execs from the local Benz distributor as guests of Erebus.

"I think we are all positive," said Bitzer. "I think it’s quite a good atmosphere at the moment. We have good discussions and there is nothing negative from the AMG side or Mercedes-Benz Australia.

"Of course we would be happy to see even more success with the E-Class, but that is the same for Erebus. They have the same target, so there is nothing we could say that is negative."

Bitzer said he enjoyed his first exposure to the V8 Supercars category.

"V8 is very good racing," he said.

"The racing was tight, fighting like racing should be. It reminds me of what DTM [German touring cars] used to be. The hard fighting, over the kerbs and the cars...

"It looks a bit like when DTM was tough and fighting, but now in DTM there is less contact and more aero."

Bitzer was speaking before Lee Holdsworth slammed the #4 E63 hard into the wall at the esses after a tyre failure late in the 500.

The team has now confirmed it is rebuilding that car for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 rather than pressing its spare into service.

It is also likely to give its latest versions of the Australian-developed M159 5.0-litre V8 a run at Bathurst after pulling it out of the Beko Benz driven by the Davison brothers at Sandown after Friday practice.