• Manthey DK Engineering finishes the fifth WEC race of the season in second place
• The Bend Manthey crosses the line in fifteenth place following technical problems
• James Cottingham is presented with the Goodyear Wingfoot Award as 'LMGT3 Driver of the Day' at the six-hour-race

Manthey DK Engineering celebrated its first podium finish of the season at the FIA WEC round at the Circuit of The Americas in Texas, with James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven finishing second. The Bend Manthey sister car, driven by Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz, crossed the finish line in 15th place following a technical setback caused by a collision.

Starting from third (#91) and 13th (#92) on the grid, the two Porsche 911 GT3 R began the six-hour race at the Circuit of The Americas. James Cottingham held his own in the leading group during the early stages and, after his double stint, handed over the Porsche – which he had taken to the front – to Timur Boguslavskiy. Meanwhile, in the sister car, Yasser Shahin experienced a difficult start following an early collision. Around two hours into the race, car number 92 – now with Riccardo Pera at the wheel – was eventually forced to return to the pits due to technical problems resulting from the collision. Although the Manthey crew managed to repair the damage and get the car back on track, they were already six laps behind the field by that point. After the remainder of the race, the trio of Shahin, Pera and Lietz eventually crossed the finish line in 15th place. At the front of the field, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven, having taken over the car from Cottingham, battled consistently for the lead in the LMGT3 class. Despite a five-second time penalty, car number 91 held on to second place until the finish, securing Manthey DK Engineering’s first joint podium finish of the current FIA WEC season. In addition, James Cottingham was presented with the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, which is given by spectators to honour the outstanding LMGT3 driver of the race.

After five of the eight endurance races, Shahin, Pera and Lietz (#92) are now in third place in the overall Endurance Trophy standings for LMGT3 teams (49 points). Following their strong points haul in Texas, Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven (#91) have moved up from tenth to fifth place (48 points).

Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at the Manthey Racing GmbH, sums up the WEC race at COTA: “Lone Star Le Mans was once again an exciting race this year, and - with light rain falling on and off - a strategically challenging one for the teams. The start went well for us: we were able to make up positions with both cars and even took the lead at times. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between Yasser in car number 92 and another car, which resulted in a collision. This damaged the steering. Initially, we tried to continue the race without an additional pit stop, but later had to bring the car in for repairs. The resulting six-lap deficit unfortunately made a top result impossible, but we naturally finished the race nonetheless. Things went very well with car number 91. James put in a great performance and was at times the fastest LMGT3 driver on the track. When Timur, who also drove really well, was in the car, we unfortunately received a five-second penalty because we were penalised for going off the track whilst battling for position. The penalty during the race may have cost us the chance of victory, but we are nevertheless very satisfied with second place. For James, Timur and Ayhancan, this is a thoroughly deserved first joint podium finish in the FIA WEC. Our two cars are now just one point apart in the championship. Overall, the battle at the top is extremely close, so we can look forward to an exciting rest of the season.”

Manthey’s next race is already just a week away. For the penultimate sprint race weekend of the season, the Meuspath-based team will travel to the Sachsenring (11–13 September). Meanwhile, the World Endurance Championship’s next round takes place in Japan. From 25 to 27 September, the WEC teams will battle it out for further championship points at the ‘6 Hours of Fuji’.

Quotes on 2026 Lone Star Le Mans:

James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “I’m obviously absolutely delighted with the podium finish. We had the chance to win the race, which shows our potential and also how much our performance has improved since the start of the season. I’m also really pleased to have won the Wingfoot Award, which the spectators voted for me. It’s a great honour and I’m very proud of it – it was a special day in Austin.”

Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “I’m almost more delighted for the whole team, James and Ayhancan than I am for myself. We’ve finally achieved what they all deserve. We’ve finally made it onto the podium, and in such a difficult race with the temperatures and the occasional light rain. I’m really pleased with the many points we’ve scored for the championship. We’re now in the fight for the lead and will be aiming to secure our first race win at Fuji.”

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “The first podium for Manthey DK Engineering. A superb performance by the whole team. We’ve been improving steadily since Imola and it’s now paid off. We were in contention for the win throughout today, and James and Timur really delivered. We’ve certainly got the most out of our package. In the end, I’d obviously have liked to have been in the running for the win, but second place is very satisfying and we’ll be heading to Fuji soon, feeling motivated.”

Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “We arrived with high expectations, but unfortunately the weekend didn’t go to plan, even though we’d prepared so well for it. After a few good laps at the start, a collision with another car unfortunately caused damage, meaning repairs were needed. That set us back a few laps. However, we never give up, so we carried on racing, hoping to pick up a point or two. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. Nevertheless, I’ve learnt a lot from the weekend and am already looking forward to Fuji with the team.”

Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “It was an unfortunate race for us. Unfortunately, following a collision, we had to bring the car into the pits, and from that point on, a points finish was no longer possible. That’s obviously very frustrating. Nevertheless, we’re still third in the overall standings, and at Fuji the aim is, of course, to come back stronger so that we can fight for the title at Monza.”

Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “Unfortunately, it was a race to forget for us. We had great potential and the car felt really good. Unfortunately, however, a few minor setbacks had a major impact. But when we don’t perform so well, the sister car is there to step up. I’m really delighted for the #91 that they made it onto the podium and were able to show what was possible today. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side.”