Manthey’s 2026 FIA WEC LMGT3 Porsche 911 GT3 R Squad
After two standout seasons in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Manthey will field two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in 2026 with strong LMGT3 driver line-ups and a clear ambition to extend its winning record. The team arrives as back-to-back LMGT3 Endurance Trophy winners and LMGT3 class winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024 and 2025, and it plans to carry that momentum into the new WEC season.
Manthey will place LMGT3 experience at the heart of its ‘Manthey DK Engineering’ entry, with James Cottingham and Timur Boguslavskiy joining the team in WEC for the first time in this Porsche programme. Both drivers bring two full seasons of FIA WEC knowledge, and they will team up with reigning DTM champion Ayhancan Güven, who will make his WEC debut after winning the Bathurst 12 Hour and delivering endurance racing success for Manthey on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. ‘The Bend Manthey’ crew brings continuity and proven class-winning pace, as reigning LMGT3 champions and Le Mans winners Richard Lietz and Riccardo Pera share driving duties with Yasser Shahin. Shahin already delivered results with Manthey in the 2024 WEC campaign, when he and Lietz closed Manthey’s debut season with an LMGT3 class win at Le Mans and the LMGT3 runner-up finish overall, following their Pro-Am victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour in the same year.
“After two incredibly successful years in the WEC in 2024 and 2025, we are proud to remain part of the series next year. With James and DK Engineering, as well as Timur, we have strong new partners joining the team. James and Timur are experienced drivers in the WE, C, and I am excited to see what we can achieve together. They will be joined by Ayhancan, with whom we undoubtedly want to build on the successes achieved in the last two years. Familiar faces will line up the second crew, and we are proud that Yasser will be part of the team again next year, as we have a strong connection with him. After winning not only the championship but also the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice in a row in the last two seasons, our goal is clear: to continue the momentum of these years and defend our titles," summarises Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.
Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH, adds: "We are very confident about our two driver line-ups, which feature newcomers, returning drivers and consistency in equal measure. James and Timur have been competing in the WEC since 2024, but are new to the tea. Ayhancan will be making his series debut, but has already won championships and victories with us. I am sure that we will form a strong unit with these exciting drivers. The second line-up also promises a lot: While Richard represents absolute consistency and expertise for us, we are happy that Riccardo is entering his second season with us and very pleased that Yasser and The Bend are returning to us following a year with BMW. With him and Richard, we celebrated many highlights in 2024 in the new LMGT3 class with Manthey EMA, crowned by the victory at Le Mans. We are therefore happy to have him back in our line-up, while Ryan is taking the natural step of joining us in IMSA, thus remaining with us as a strong driver and partner. In 2026, we want to pick up with both cars where we left off in 2025 and 2024 and celebrate the next successes together."
The 2026 FIA WEC calendar starts on 22 and 23 March with the official prologue, before the opening race of the eight-round season takes place in Qatar on 28 March with the 1,812 km event. The championship then returns to a familiar sequence of world-class endurance racing venues, with rounds at Imola, Spa, Fuji, Le Mans, São Paulo, Austin and Bahrain, as Manthey targets more LMGT3 podiums and another title push across the World Endurance Championship.
Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “I’m really excited for the 2026 WEC season together with James and Timur. I had a successful time with Manthey in DTM and endurance racing, and as I enter the WEC for the first time, I feel confident within the team and ready to build on our past successes. I know it will be my first championship, but, as always, we will work hard and be well-prepared for the first race in Qatar. From there, we will assess our performance and improve it race by race to ensure we have a strong season. We are putting together a strong package, and with great chemistry, our goal must be to fight for the title!”
Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “Teaming up with Manthey marks a significant step in my racing career, as I have always hoped to liaise with a winning Team in WEC. I have experienced Manthey’s exceptional performance and professionalism during a Test in Hockenheim in 202. I immediately realised that it would one day be my team and my car, and my management helped me achieve this goal. As we head into the 2026 WEC season, my third season in the championship, I now feel ready and more determined than ever to fight together with my teammates to give our best and to confirm the impressive track record of Manthey and Porsche in recent years.”
James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “It is every racing driver’s dream to compete at Le Mans, and in the WEC, with the most successful team at La Sarthe ever! I feel extremely privileged to have made this happen. After two strong but difficult years in WEC with another manufacturer, I am very excited to take part in another year with my new teammates and Manthey, using what has proven to be the best platform on the circuit. Nothing will be easy, and we will all put our full effort into the year ahead. I cannot wait to experience the car for the first time.”
Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "I am delighted that we will be competing for Manthey again in 2026 with a strong team in the WEC: Yasser is returning, Riccardo is staying on board, and I will also be back behind the wheel with the team I know so well. I am looking forward to achieving good results together – and hopefully having just as much fun as we did last season. At the same time, it is completely understandable that Ryan wants to focus on the American market in the future. As an American driver and with 1st Phorm as his US partner, this fits perfectly with “Manthey Goes America”. I wish him every success and thank him for the 2025 season we spent together!"
Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “It's fantastic to be racing for Manthey again in the coming season. We have a strong line-up, and I can hardly wait for the season to start in Qatar. Our goal is to build on this year's performances and achieve top results again. I'm particularly looking forward to sharing the car with Richard again, and we'll also have Yasser with us as our bronze driver. I already know him and know how fast he is, so the overall package looks firm. I'm looking forward to an exciting season together with the whole team!”
Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I'm thrilled to be heading back to Manthey for the 2026 season in the LMGT3 category of the World Endurance Championship. It's like picking up right where we left off after that amazing 2024 run together – finishing second overall and taking the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the crown jewel of endurance racing. Manthey's track record speaks for itself, and getting behind the wheel with them again feels fantastic, especially with the supremely competent Richard Lietz and Riccardo Peraasco as drivers. The recent test was a total reunion vibe – familiar faces, that same winning energy, and sliding into the #92 car as if no time had passed. Teaming up as The Bend Manthey, with The Bend –the world-class Australian race track I co-founded – as our major sponsor, adds that extra layer of pride. This squad is incredible, and I can't wait to chase more success together.”
