• GTD PRO debut victory for Klaus Bachler, Thomas Preining and Ricardo Feller (#911)
• Engine overheating resulting from a collision costs car #912 the GTD victory shortly before the end of the 12 hour race
• In the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings, the 911 crew now occupies second place (21 points, GTD PRO), whilst their Manthey 1St Phorm team-mates rank eleventh (15 points, GTD) with the Sebring race result

Sebring. Manthey celebrates its first class victory in its debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the ‘Grello’ Porsche 911 GT3 R (#911). Starting from the top four, Ricardo Feller (Switzerland) steadily moved the 911 up the field and took the lead for the first time within the first hour of the race following a strategically well-timed pit stop. Even in the fiercely contested GTD-PRO field, which was disrupted by full-course yellow (FCY) phases and various pit stop strategies, the Manthey drivers and strategy proved their worth, enabling the car to clock up many laps in the lead over the twelve-hour race distance. With a masterful final overtaking manoeuvre, Thomas Preining (Austria) secured victory on the 6.02-kilometre Sebring International Raceway in the final hour of the race. Unfortunately, just as at the IMSA season opener in Daytona, the Manthey 1st Phorm crew suffered another setback shortly before the end of the race. Bronze-class and qualifying driver Ryan Hardwick (USA) staged a strong comeback from 17th place, which Morris Schuring (Netherlands) and Riccardo Pera (Italy) consistently continued. By the halfway point of the race, they were already in second place in the GTD class and were able to convert this into the lead an hour and a half later. The 912 trio held this position until an engine overheat caused, as a result of a collision, forced them out of the race 30 minutes before the chequered flag, denying the team a one-two finish. In both the team and driver standings of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, this race result leaves Manthey in second place in the GTD PRO class (21 points) and Manthey 1st Phorm in eleventh place in the GTD class (15 points).

“The 12 Hours of Sebring – our second IMSA race – and in the end we actually managed to win this dramatic race in a thrilling finale with the 911. Both Manthey cars were consistently among the front-runners right from the start, and Ryan in particular, in the 912, did a phenomenal job. As the Bronze driver, he posted strong lap times, putting the team in a decisive position,” reflects Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing. “As is often the case in an endurance race, both cars faced some unfortunate situations that cost us positions. But we fought our way back every time. With around an hour and a half remaining, both cars were in a very promising position. Thomas then made a strong move to pass Roxy, took the lead and built up exactly the gap we needed strategically. He then managed that lead perfectly until the end. With the 912, we were clearly on course for the podium. Unfortunately, in the closing stages, damage caused by contact blocked the radiator vent. This caused the engine temperature to rise dramatically, and we had to retire the car – otherwise we definitely could have achieved a double podium or win. Nevertheless, we’re very happy with this result. Both crews did a fantastic job, and we’re absolutely delighted to have won the 12 Hours of Sebring with the 911, securing our first IMSA victory. We’ll be back on the attack with the 912 next time.”

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH, concludes: “This race has once again shown just how demanding the IMSA really is. The standard here is incredibly high, and the competition is fierce. For us as a new team in this championship, this means we still have a lot to learn in many areas and are developing step by step. There are always situations where you realise: we’ll do that better next time. It is precisely this learning curve that makes it so exciting. I am all the more proud of our entire crew. Both cars performed strongly over the full distance, and the 912 was in a really promising position before the late contact ended its chances. Unfortunately, that is part and parcel of this sport. At the same time, the 911 demonstrated just how important it is to keep a cool head in this extremely chaotic multi-class racing – particularly in the final two hours, which felt more like two consecutive sprint races. The fact that we were able to hold our own in this environment and secure victory in the end is a huge success for the entire team. We’re taking a lot away from this weekend and look forward to proving ourselves further.”

The next round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup is not due to take place until after a break of just under three months, with the Six Hours of The Glen scheduled for 25–28 June in the state of New York. In the run-up to that event, Manthey is set to stay busy, starting with the beginning of the DTM and WEC seasons in April.

Quotes on the 12 Hours of Sebring 2026:

Klaus Bachler, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “Unbelievable – a huge thank you to the whole team. Our first victory together in America and Manthey’s first IMSA success with the Grello is something very special, especially here at the 12 Hours of Sebring. I’m incredibly proud of all the team members and my teammates; we all did a flawless job. In the end, it was another extremely close battle, as you’d expect here – the last two hours were really intense. Luckily, we crossed the finish line first, and we’ll definitely be celebrating that tonight.”

Ricardo Feller, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “I’m really, really proud. A huge thank you goes to the whole team for allowing me to witness and be part of Grello’s first victory in the USA. We had an almost perfect race without any major incidents, and in the end Thommy finished strongly and secured the win. It’s a fantastic feeling – and I hope this is just one of many successes that await me this year alongside the team.”

Thomas Preining, Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “This was my first time at the 12 Hours of Sebring – so it’s all the more special that it went so well on my first attempt. Huge credit to the whole team. Competing here as a European team is a real mammoth task, and the fact that everything went so smoothly and we’ve already secured a win in our second race is truly remarkable. The strategy was spot on, every pit stop was perfect. A big thank you also to my team-mates – a great performance from everyone. Klaus has now won Sebring for the third time, which is truly impressive. For me personally, this is actually my first proper endurance race victory after ten years in GT cars, and that’s why this success will stay with me twice as much.”

Ryan Hardwick, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “First and foremost, I want to congratulate the whole team and our teammates in the Grello on an epic first win here in IMSA. Winning the 12 Hours of Sebring on your very first attempt as a team is something truly remarkable. And honestly, we were really close to pulling off a double class win. I’m incredibly proud of our crew in the 912 car. We fought our way from the back of the pack to the front and led the race for a huge number of laps – probably more than any other car out there. We had a real shot at the win all the way up to about eleven hours into the race. With one hour to go, we were right in the middle of the fight. Ricardo was pushing as hard as he could in heavy traffic, but unfortunately there was some contact that ended our race early. Still, it felt great to be in that position and to show that we have the potential to win these races. We’ll come back stronger at Watkins Glen, and I hope we can reach the top step there.”

Riccardo Pera, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “It’s a shame to end the 12 Hours of Sebring like this. We had contact with the BMW in the final 30 minutes, which forced us to retire the car. We had been leading at several stages, we were fast, and we stayed with the top three for most of the race. The team, as always, did a great job, and my teammates Ryan and Morris drove amazingly. Now we look ahead to Watkins Glen in June, where we’ll be ready to fight back.”

Morris Schuring, Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R #912: “We did a really strong race. Up until the final hour everything was running almost perfectly – all three of us were competitive, and we led for a big part of the race. Ryan did an amazing job; to cycle back to the front so quickly as a Bronze driver in such a mixed and competitive field really shows what a great driver he is. We executed a very clean race all the way until the last hour, when unfortunately we got caught up in an incident. It damaged the front damper, we had to pit for repairs, and the damage turned out to be too big to continue. It really hurts, because I truly believe we could have won the 12 Hours of Sebring. For the team’s debut and for me personally, that would have been a dream come true. Nevertheless, I’m incredibly happy for the team. Winning in GTD PRO is something special – and doing it on the first attempt is something to be really proud of. It shows how amazing the whole team effort is, and I’m super proud to be part of it. I would have loved to add to that success with our car.”

Race Calendar IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup 2026:

16. - 18.01.2026 Roar before the Rolex 24 | Florida
21. - 25.01.2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona | Florida
18. - 21.03.2026 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring | Florida
25. - 28.06.2026 Watkins Glen International | New York
30.07. - 02.08.2026 Road America | Wisconsin
01.10. - 03.10.2026 Petit Le Mans | Georgia