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Bruce Newton1 May 2014
NEWS

MOTORSPORT: Erebus could swap to Volvo!

AMG-Benz V8 Supercars privateer team negotiates for factory backing from Swedes

Betty Klimenko’s Erebus V8 Supercars squad could swap from racing privateer AMG Mercedes-Benz E 63s to factory-backed Volvo S60s in 2015.

motoring.com.au understands negotiations over a possible deal have taken place between Erebus, local distributor Volvo Car Australia and Polestar Racing. Polestar, the Swedish brand’s global motorsport and performance partner has played a key role in the S60’s arrival in the championship this year as a competitive force.

This photo, obtained by motoring.com.au, shows (from left to right) VCA managing director Matt Braid, Klimenko, Erebus CEO Ryan Maddison and Polestar owner Christian Dahl in the paddock at the Australian Grand Prix, where a meeting took place.

Neither Erebus or VCA offered any comment when contacted by motoring.com.au. Polestar was yet to respond as this story was published.

Rumours of a potential Erebus move to Volvo have been whispered along the V8 Supercars grapevine for some weeks. However, whether it is a bonafide negotiation or a kite flying exercise remains to be seen.

Right now, Erebus, in which Klimenko has invested millions of dollars, seems to face three options. The first is to renew its Customer Sports deal with AMG and continue on fundamentally as is. If, however, that deal is not renewed, it could run the E63s without any AMG signage and contractual support – this is potentially litigious. Or, swap to another brand such as Volvo, something that could only be done with factory support given the millions spent by Erebus on the technology it races now.

Currently, there are two factory-backed Volvos campaigned in the championship by Volvo Polestar Racing, which is fundamentally the former Holden privateer team, Garry Rogers Motorsport. But Volvo global motorsport boss Derek Crabb and Dahl have both made it clear that more S60s racing in the V8 Supercar series is definitely part of the future plan.

The desire to potentially expand that presence in only the brand’s second year on the grid has been given impetus by the huge impact Scott ‘Jandal’ McLaughlin. The Kiwi has had with a series of impressive performances including pole positions and a race win at the non-championship Australian Grand Prix meeting.

A shift to Volvo would end a fractious two-year deal the Erebus V8 Supercar squad has had with Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific and Benz’s global performance partner AMG.

The Customer Sports contract that binds Erebus and AMG expires at the end of 2014 and there are plenty of question marks over whether it will be renewed.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific has never liked the deal and would have no regrets if it ended. AMG signed up under former boss Ola Kallenius, but his replacement, Tobias Moers, was publicly critical of the performance of Erebus in the V8 Supercars last year, albeit admitting that AMG had under-estimated the technical task of developing competitive cars.

There has also been some debate about the level of technical division between AMG and Erebus as the team has sought to cut the cost and speed development of the 5.0-litre version of the M159 engine by conducting work at its Yatala (Qld) base.

Moers has been more positive in his more recent comments and the E63s have been significantly more competitive in 2014, with Lee Holdsworth claiming the team’s first win earlier this month. Category superstar Will Davison has joined Erebus and provided significant pace and impetus.

When contacted by motoring.com.au, AMG provided the following statement on its own behalf and its motorsport contractor HWA.

"As a long-standing strategic partner of Daimler AG for motorsport and customer sports activities, HWA AG has been supplying Erebus Motorsport Ltd. with engines and components for the V 8 Supercars championship since 2012, also providing specific development services in the context of this project. HWA's development services for this project have now been completed and collaboration is largely limited to the supply of special scopes of parts for the vehicles. For its part, Mercedes-AMG has granted Erebus Motorsport Ltd the rights to participate in the Australian V8 Supercars championship with the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG. Erebus Motorsport Ltd. has since informed us that the team will be carrying out engine overhauls in-house in future. In view of the logistical challenge involved (Germany-Australia), we are fully able to understand this decision by the team. Please appreciate that we are unable to make any further comments on any future cooperation".

Klimenko, a property developer, is a passionate fan of Mercedes-Benz and AMG vehicles and her desire to go V8 Supercars racing with the brand came after Erebus had raced the SLS GT3 as an AMG Customer Sports team, wining the Bathurst 12-hour in 2013.

But, Klimenko is also a Volvo fan and Braid sold her a car years ago.

Klimenko funded the expansion into V8 Supercars by buying former factory Ford team Stone Brothers Racing and is reported to have spent up to $40 million. However, she has always insisted Erebus is eventually expected to be financially independent and pay her back.

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