R-Motorsport will likely not be taking part in the joint DTM/Super GT race at Fuji Speedway, meaning that only Audi and BMW will be headed to Japan to represent the series in November.
The German squad, which runs four Aston Martin Vantage DTMs in the championship, is prioritizing the development of its 2020 car over the one-off event. The British marque entered the 2019 development cycle later than its rivals and has spent most of the championship on the back foot, which is why it's now focusing on developing the car's weaknesses, chief of which is its engine.
If the squad would have taken part, the process of shipping the cars to Japan and back would have cost a month at which the cars would not be at base, which would likely impact development time. Costs and logistics were also likely a factor, as the team has the smallest operating budget of the three DTM manufacturers.
The organisers of the joint event have also confirmed a number of new details about both the crossover event and Super GT's presence at the DTM season finale at Hockenheim next month.
Honda, Lexus and Nissan will be present at the Hockenheimring, but contrary to the other two brands, Honda will only bring a single driver in the form of 2009 Formula One world champion Jenson Button, who will take part in both races. Lexus and Nissan have elected to split driver duties between the two races, and have also confirmed their line-ups.
The TOM's Lexus LC500 will be driven by 2019 champions Nick Cassidy and Ryo Hirakawa, while Nissan are bringing Ronnie Quintarelli and Tsugio Matsuda. The Super GT runners have also been allocated two additional one-hour practice sessions at Hockenheim.
Audi and BMW, meanwhile will reveal their driver line-ups for the Fuji race at Hockenheim.
