Manthey sets out its 2026 WEC defence with two Porsche LMGT3 crews

Manthey will return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026 with an unchanged structure and a sharpened focus. Two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries will once again contest the LMGT3 class as the Meuspath-based team looks to defend both its Endurance Trophy titles and its recent run of Le Mans class victories.

After winning the LMGT3 Endurance Trophy and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2024 and 2025, continuity rather than reinvention defines Manthey’s approach. The difference lies in how the driver line-ups have been shaped around that success.

A new-look #91 with proven WEC mileage

The car run as Manthey DK Engineering will carry the number 91 and features a trio combining series experience with internal continuity.

James Cottingham and Timur Boguslavskiy both arrive with two full seasons of WEC experience, albeit with other manufacturers. For Manthey, this matters. LMGT3 has shown that operational fluency and race management often outweigh outright pace, particularly over a long season.

They are joined by Ayhancan Güven, the reigning DTM champion, who will make his WEC debut in 2026. Güven is not an unknown quantity within the organisation. His Bathurst 12 Hour victory and repeated success on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with Manthey mean the learning curve is about the championship format rather than the team or the car.

This line-up feels deliberately balanced. Two drivers who understand WEC rhythms paired with one who understands Manthey’s way of working.

Stability and familiarity for the #92 entry

The second car, entered as The Bend Manthey with starting number 92, leans heavily on continuity.

Richard Lietz and Riccardo Pera, reigning LMGT3 champions and back-to-back Le Mans class winners, return together. Their partnership has become one of the reference points in the category, combining Lietz’s long-term Porsche and endurance experience with Pera’s consistency and qualifying speed.

They are joined once again by Yasser Shahin, who reunites with Manthey after a season away. Shahin’s return is significant. Alongside Lietz, he played a central role in Manthey’s breakthrough 2024 WEC campaign, which included a Le Mans class win and second place in the LMGT3 standings. His association with The Bend, the Australian circuit he co-founded and which returns as title sponsor, underlines the commercial stability behind the programme.

Continuity as a competitive weapon

Manthey’s senior management has been clear that the objective is not merely participation but sustained dominance. Managing Director Nicolas Raeder framed the 2026 programme around momentum rather than reset, while Racing Director Patrick Arkenau highlighted the mix of newcomers, returnees and long-term constants as the team’s core strength.

There is also an unspoken point worth noting. In a class defined by Pro-Am balance and operational detail, Manthey has become the benchmark not through headline signings but through execution. The 2026 line-ups reflect that philosophy.

Season context

The 2026 WEC season begins with the Prologue on 22–23 March, followed by the Qatar 1812 km on 28 March. The eight-round calendar again spans Qatar, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, São Paulo, Austin, Fuji and Bahrain.

Manthey enters the season as the team everyone else is measured against in LMGT3. The driver announcements do not radically change that picture. If anything, they reinforce it.