• Third place marks the second podium finish in a row for Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz (#92)
• The Bend Manthey takes the lead in the LMGT3 standings
• James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven (#91) come seventh in the race, placing them in the same position in the championship

Spa. Manthey Manthey and The Bend take the second consecutive podium finish at Spa, claiming the lead in the LMGT3 championship. Despite a promising start from the Bronze-category drivers, a turbulent start to the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps initially set both Porsche 911 GT3 R back from their starting positions of ninth (#91) and twelfth (#92).  As early as the first lap, car #91 was involved in an incident with a BMW, costing valuable positions. Moreover, James Cottingham later was handed a drive-through penalty for exceeding the track limits, a fate that befell many teams during the race. After Yasser Shahin's early charge through the field, the sister car was knocked back to last place (P17) following contact with a Hypercar, but immediately set about clawing back the lost ground. In a race characterised by fierce battles and numerous yellow and safety car phases, both Manthey 911s worked their way up the field through slightly different strategies. Timur Boguslavskiy handed over to Ayhancan Güven in eleventh place around two hours before the end of the race after a double stint. Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz, who were in fifth place at that point, took turns completing single stints in the number 92 car. Flawless final stints from the three closing drivers, combined with penalties handed down as the chequered flag fell, saw The Bend Manthey finish third, securing their second consecutive podium finish. Meanwhile, Manthey DK Engineering built on their points-scoring result from Imola by collecting vital championship points with a seventh-place finish.  In the LMGT3 standings, Shahin, Lietz and Pera are now in first place with 30 points, whilst Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven are in seventh place, level on points with the sixth-placed team (18 points).

“The second WEC race of the season has once again ended with a podium finish for car number 92. Following an incident involving contact with another car, which did not adhere to the series’ driving standards, and the resulting damage, car number 91 was only able to finish in seventh place,” reports Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH. "The race can essentially be summed up as very chaotic. Despite James and Yasser doing a very good job, both Porsche 911 GT3 Rs were involved in incidents through no fault of their own during the opening stages, which caused us to lose a lot of positions. This altered the course of our race early on, meaning we had to adjust our approach and drive aggressively from the middle stints onwards to catch up. But it paid off in the end. The race was very tough in both classes in its final stages, with plenty of contact, accidents and yellow flag periods. We are all the more delighted with third place for The Bend Manthey. The 91 would also have had the potential to finish on the podium had it not been for the contact later in the race, again through no fault of our own. Overall, we demonstrated the strength of our line-up and the entire team. We are now heading to Le Mans with great anticipation, high expectations and a lot of momentum.”

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH, sums up: 'It was an exciting race, not least because of the fantastic atmosphere. With over 100,000 fans in attendance, this is yet another attendance record, and a strong endorsement of the sport and the WEC.' From a sporting perspective, car number 92's second consecutive podium finish in third place is a very positive result, which also puts us in the lead in the championship. This result is an impressive comeback, especially after the incident in the early stages. However, the result for car number 91 is unfortunate, as a better result would have been possible had it not been for the behaviour of the competition, which was penalised by race control, and the resulting damage. This does not fully reflect the performance of James, Timur and Ayhancan. This is all the more reason for us to look ahead now and aim to demonstrate our full potential with both cars at Le Mans again – after all, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, another highlight of the season, awaits us next week.”

Taking place from 10 to 13 June 2026, with the official test the preceding weekend, the 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. However, Manthey has another endurance classic on the calendar first: the Nürburgring 24 Hours, from 16 to 17 May.

Quotes on the Six Hours of Spa 2026:

James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “The race started very well, but unfortunately after just seven corners we were pushed off track in a small incident, which put us in a difficult position for the rest of the race. Despite having strong pace, being forced wide in turn seven meant we spent the remainder of the first stint stuck in a pack several cars back, where further contact followed. As a consequence, we also received track limits infringements, which ultimately led to a five second drive through penalty and cost us additional positions. From that point on, many of the incidents we encountered were a direct result of being out of position compared to the car’s potential. Still, we are pleased to take away valuable points, delighted for the sister car to secure another podium and take the championship lead. I think the entire team did a very strong job showing our potential. From here, we can only move forward, learn from what happened, keep our heads down and focus on delivering a strong result in the next round.”

Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “The weekend did not start in an ideal way for me, as I was not feeling at my best and it was initially unclear whether I would be able to complete a double stint. Today, however, I felt good and was able to do so, which was my main focus for the race. Thanks to a good test here in Spa about a month ago, we were well prepared and pleased to reach Hyperpole for the second time this season. Many thanks to James as well for his strong performance, both in qualifying and in the race. With the pace of the car and our driver line up, we clearly had the potential to fight for the win, but bad luck and unnecessary, unforced contacts dropped us back. We still take important points from the weekend and now shift our full focus to Le Mans, where we want to show our true potential.”

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “Finishing P7 at Spa, it was a very tough race overall. We faced several challenges, starting with the lap one incident and later another incident during my stint with around two hours to go, which caused damage to the car and made an already difficult race even harder. Nevertheless, there are many positives to take from this weekend. Our entire driver line up really proved itself and we showed an even stronger performance than in Imola, which gives us great momentum and something to be proud of. In the end, we were simply missing a bit of luck for an even better result. We collected solid points going into Le Mans with 18 championship points and found a good rhythm. Congratulations to the sister car, and a big thank you to the whole team for an excellent job, especially with the strategy and the coordination between both cars during the pit stops. I’m very happy and already looking forward to Le Mans.”

Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I’m feeling incredibly pleased and fortunate to be racing alongside such accomplished drivers and within such an amazing team. We had a solid start, and I felt the first few laps were particularly strong as we pushed through the field without any mistakes. Unfortunately, I was then taken out by a Hypercar in Piff Paff, which was a very unlucky situation that should not have happened. I was extremely fortunate to be able to rejoin the race after going through the gravel. Despite some minor damage, we managed to maintain good pace. In the end, I’m incredibly happy to finish the race on the podium – something I would not have thought possible just two hours into the race.”

Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “It’s a great feeling to be back on the podium in the second race of the championship – another P3 for us. I have to thank Yasser and Richard; the car was excellent and the team did a fantastic job with the strategy. We’re all extremely happy with this result. Being in the lead of the championship heading into Le Mans next month is a huge boost of motivation, and I can’t wait for the biggest race of the year.”

Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “A podium finish in Spa – that’s simply fantastic. The six hours here were once again extremely turbulent, and that’s exactly what makes the WEC so exciting for the fans, as demonstrated by more than 100,000 spectators this weekend. My team mates did a great job: at times we were at the back, then fighting at the front, then again in the midfield – it was constantly up and down. That it ultimately resulted in a podium finish makes it even more special. Two podiums in the first two races of the 2026 WEC season represent a truly strong team performance, and I’m very happy.”