• Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz (#92) take third place in the WEC season-opener at Imola
• Manthey DK Engineering drivers James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven (#91) finish the race just behind their sister car in fourth place
• This also means third place (#92, 15 points) and fourth place (#91, 12 points) for Manthey in the LMGT3 championship standings

Imola. The Bend Manthey clinched its first podium of the 2026 season with a third-place finish at the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Starting from eighth (#91) and eleventh (#92) on the grid, the Manthey DK Engineering and The Bend Manthey drivers embarked on a six-hour chase through the LMGT3 field. In a race disrupted by several safety car periods and varying pit stop strategies, both Manthey cars remained in mid-field until the first rain began to fall just over two hours before the end of the race. Under drizzly conditions, both Richard Lietz and Ayhancan Güven managed to make up a significant number of places on the track and in the pit lane over the final third of the race. Ultimately, the The Bend Manthey Porsche (#92) crossed the finish line of the Six Hours of Imola in third place, directly followed by the Manthey DK Engineering sister car (#91) in fourth. This not only marked Manthey’s first podium finish but also earned the team important championship points to kick off the endurance championship: In line with the race result, Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz are now third in the LMGT3 drivers’ and teams’ standings (15 points); with twelve points, James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven are in fourth place.

Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Mathey Racing GmbH, reflects on the team’s first WEC outing in 2026: “The belated start to the 2026 WEC season at Imola is completed – with a very good result for us. We were able to secure our first podium finish straight away in the first race with the 92 The Bend Manthey car, finishing third, with the Manthey DK Engineering car bearing starting number 91 right behind us in fourth place. As in previous years, the race at Imola had it all: contact, several safety car periods and a crucial weather factor. At one point, it was raining all around us, but not on the track – anticipating that dynamic was particularly thrilling. Overall, however, everything worked very well. A big thank you goes to the entire team for their outstanding performance. The result shows that we will once again be on the grid in 2026 with two strong and competitive line-ups. I am incredibly proud that we managed to perform at this level in two places simultaneously – with third place at Imola and on the Nordschleife, it was an extremely successful Sunday for us.”

“Of course, we were hoping to build on last season’s successes. But I never expected us to be able to do so so smoothly, keep up with the competition from the outset and put up such a strong fight,” emphasises Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH. “I am all the more proud that, with two new driver line-ups, we were so competitive right from the start and were able to deliver a largely flawless race with both cars. Special mention must go to everyone involved:  from our Pro drivers, all of whom have close ties to Manthey, to Yasser, who we already celebrated joint successes with and gained valuable experience in the WEC alongside back in 2024, right through to James and Timur, who have joined the team this year. Every single one of them put in a fantastic performance, and it is impressive to see how smoothly the line-ups are already working together. The team, too, did its job to world-class standards, as usual. Third and fourth places are a fantastic start to the championship and a very good starting position for 2026. We are delighted to be back in the mix and now have confirmation that we are on the right path.”

In three weeks’ time, from 7 to 9 May 2026, the teams are set to compete in the next round of the FIA WEC at Spa-Francorchamps.

Quotes on the Six Hours of Imola 2026:

James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “Overall, it was a really great week for us. From the moment we hit the track, I felt very comfortable with the car and immediately at ease within the team, which made a big difference throughout the weekend. Everything came together in a very positive way, and finishing P4 was definitely a bonus on top of that. This weekend has shown that we have a very strong package, which makes me genuinely excited for the rest of the season. A big thank you to the entire Manthey crew for doing such a fantastic job.”

Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “This was my first race and my first long stint with this car, which is quite different compared to what I’ve driven in the past. At the beginning of my first stint, I struggled a bit with the tyres and was therefore slightly slower than usual. In my second stint on new tyres, however, I felt very comfortable in the car and really enjoyed my time behind the wheel. Overall, I’m happy with how everything went – we didn’t make any mistakes or receive any penalties. It’s great working together with James and Ayhancan, and there’s really nothing more to add. Now our full focus is on preparing for Spa.”

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “The first WEC round in Imola has come to an end, and we finished P4 at the flag with car No. 91. Overall, it was a great race for us – we were consistently in the mix at the front and managed to run a clean race without any mistakes. The team executed a strong strategy with some very good calls, and the car felt great throughout the race. I’m really looking forward to Spa now and to showing what we can achieve together with Timur and James.”

Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “We are incredibly happy to come away with a podium here. If you had asked us before the start of the race, we would have considered this an outstanding result. Scoring my first podium in Imola makes it even more special, and I am absolutely delighted with how the entire race unfolded. A smart strategic approach, combined with exceptional driving from all our drivers, came together perfectly and ultimately made this result possible.”

Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I am very happy with today’s result in Imola. Finishing P3 honestly feels like a win for us, especially starting from 11th on the grid and dealing with a few issues during the race. We fought our way back and managed to secure a podium, which makes this result even more rewarding. The team did an exceptional job with the strategy, all pit stops were perfectly executed, and my fellow drivers delivered outstanding stints throughout the race. Overall, it’s a strong result and a great start to the season, and I’m really looking forward to the next race in Spa.”

Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “In the end, it was a perfect week for us. After the prologue and all the work we put into the car during the test sessions, we started the race in strong form. Over the full race distance, there were plenty of ups and downs, and it was as chaotic as expected, especially with the rain towards the end, but it all came together for a great result. Finishing third is a very good result for the championship. A big thank you to the team for the amazing strategy and to my teammates – today was truly a team effort.”