• Manthey 1st Phorm secures the 2025 FIA Endurance Trophy with a fourth-place finish in the season finale in Bahrain
• The team remains undefeated in the LMGT3 category introduced in 2024, winning at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the team and driver championships
• Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Célia Martin finish twelfth after a collision early in the race and an unfortunate Virtual Safety Car period shortly before the finish

Bahrain. Manthey successfully defends the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams and drivers with Ryan Hardwick (USA), Riccardo Pera (Italy), and Richard Lietz (Austria) in the Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche. After a challenging qualifying, the trio gained 13 positions during the eight-hour race to finish fourth, securing the championship with a 14-point lead over the fifth-placed Ferrari from Vista AF Corse (#21). Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Michelle Gatting (Denmark), and Célia Martin (France) faced another difficult race in the Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R: a collision early in the race at the 5.412 km Bahrain International Circuit, combined with an unfortunately timed Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period near the end, ultimately saw them finish twelfth. With this result, Manthey celebrates winning all possible LMGT3 titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship for the second consecutive year, including the prestigious victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH, summarizes the race: “It was an intense race for us. After qualifying, we were in a difficult position, but we expected to have a better chance over the race's longer distance, which fortunately proved to be the case early on. Ryan made up a lot of ground in his triple stint, and Riccardo and Richard continued this performance seamlessly. The late VSC phase in the final hour made things exciting again because we knew this was our weakness. Without this, we would probably have made it onto the podium. Overall, thanks to the right strategy, excellent performances from all the drivers, and flawless work from our crew, we finished fourth and secured the championship. Unfortunately, it was another relatively difficult race for the Iron Dames. Early on, Célia spun and was involved in a collision through no fault of her own after the first pit stop, which meant we had to make an unplanned stop due to a slow puncture. Nevertheless, Célia, Rahel and Michelle drove strongly in the second half of the race to move into the top 10. However, the final VSC phase also cost them positions, and in the end car number 85 finished twelfth.”

With this race result, Manthey 1st Phorm was beyond reach at the top of the LMGT3 standings with 123 points, winning the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams and drivers. “Now we have won the drivers' and team standings in the LMGT3 championship for the second year in a row, remaining undefeated since the introduction of the new class – an incredible result. Our thanks go to the entire team, both here and at our base in Meuspath. Everyone who supports us and works hard every day enables us to achieve these successes,” added Arkenau.

“Winning the World Championship and Le Mans for the second consecutive time, as well as all three DTM titles and the double championship in the 2024/25 ALMS – it all feels very surreal. I am very proud of how we achieved this with such composure and manner. Our mission statement, 'Closer to Perfection', best describes what has happened here: a great deal of effort has gone into this result. It shows how close we are to the limits, how meticulously everything is planned and how well it all comes together when it matters. This is a very impressive achievement and a reward for everyone's hard work here. Thank you to all the team members, drivers and partners who made this success, and the entire 2025 season, possible,” concludes Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

Quotes on the Eight Hours of Bahrain 2025:

Rahel Frey, Porsche 911 GT3 R #85: “Once again, we had a strong pace, but unfortunately, mistakes prevented us from achieving good results. We simply have to do better, but we have a good foundation to build on. Now the long winter starts, where we have to complete all the necessary homework. Congratulations to our sister car on becoming champion — they clearly demonstrated what can be achieved with this car, as well as the team. The crew did amazingly all year long, and we felt very well supported, therefore thank you very much to everyone.”

Michelle Gatting, Porsche 911 GT3 R #85: “The 2025 season is over. We were hoping for a better result in the end, but we did our best and a lot of lessons were learned. A big shout-out to Manthey — they did amazing this year. We learned a lot togehter and became better racing drivers. And, of course, huge congratulations to the sister car for winning the championship for the second year in a row, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We definitely have something to aspire to.”

Célia Martin, Porsche 911 GT3 R #85: “The last race of the season ended on a disappointing note, with no luck despite a great team effort, which really sums up the whole season. The winning number 92 car showed that it is possible - huge congratulations to them and the entire Manthey crew on winning the title.”

Ryan Hardwick, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “It’s hard to put into words what winning the FIA World Endurance Championship means to me and my family. Starting from the very back, we faced one of our toughest challenges of all season. However, thanks to our crew's hard work in completely transforming the car, our perfect strategy and the incredible efforts of the entire Manthey team, we fought our way through the field to secure a top-five finish and the title. I’m tremendously proud to be part of Manthey, who I believe are the best team in endurance racing, and to share this achievement with my co-drivers, Richard and Riccardo. This victory is a dream come true for all of us – for the team, our families, and everyone who has supported us along the way. Thank you so much.”

Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “An incredible year and an outstanding performance by Manthey. I’m especially happy for Ryan and Riccardo – they truly deserved this title. We made fewer mistakes than the others, delivered great races, won the highlight at Le Mans, and can be very satisfied with our performance this year. Securing my second championship, ten years after my first, makes it even more special. But I know this team – they never rest, and tomorrow we’re already continuing with the rookie test.”

Riccardo Pera, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I’m so happy – it’s a feeling I can’t describe. Winning Le Mans and the World Championship, both for the first time, is truly special. I want to thank Manthey for an amazing car and a flawless strategy, which allowed us to stay ahead of the #21 Ferrari and secure the title. Ryan and Richie have been incredible all year, and I’ll probably only fully realize what we’ve achieved in the next few days.”
 

Results Eight Hours of Bahrain 2025:

LMGT3 Class
1. Umbrarescu/Schmied/López (ROM/AUT/ARG), Lexus #87
2. Berry/Hodenius/Martin (AUS/NLD/BEL), Mercedes-AMG #61
3. James/Robichon/Drudi (USA/CDN/ITA), Aston Martin #27
4. Hardwick/Lietz/Pera (USA/AUT/ITA), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92

12. Frey/Gatting/Martin (CHE/DNK/FRA), Porsche 911 GT3 R #85