• The Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Ayhancan Güven, Kévin Estre and Thomas Preining moved into the leading group early on in the 161-car field
• An accident caused by oil on track at Brünnchen led to the early retirement of car No. 911 after less than four hours of racing
• Manthey’s No. 992 entry, run together with the Griesemann Gruppe, remains in contention

Nürburg. Manthey was forced to retire the Porsche 911 GT3 R with starting number 911 from the Nürburgring 24 Hours after just four hours of racing following an accident caused by oil on track. Starting from eighth position in the 54th edition of the endurance classic, Kévin Estre (France) quickly worked his way up to the top two during his opening stint. Thomas Preining (Austria) and Ayhancan Güven (Turkey) continued this strong performance, keeping the “Grello” Porsche consistently within striking distance of the leaders under changing conditions on the 25.378-kilometre Nordschleife. With just over 20 hours remaining, Kévin Estre - back behind the wheel at that stage - lost the rear of the car in the Brünnchen section due to oil on the track and made contact with the barrier. While the driver was uninjured, the yellow-green Porsche sustained significant damage to the engine area and had to be retired immediately. This marked an early end to the race for Manthey and the No. 911 entry in its anniversary year. Meanwhile, the No. 992 car, entered jointly with the Griesemann Gruppe, remains in the race and continues to represent the team.

“We are, of course, very disappointed that our race with the #911 ended so early. Kévin lost the car due to oil on the track and hit the barrier - there was simply nothing he could have done to avoid it. Unfortunately, the damage was too severe and we had to shut the engine down immediately. Repairing the car was no longer an option. Up until that point, our race had been going very well. We were fighting at the front and were in a strong position. The result is very painful for us and we feel especially sorry for the fans, the drivers and, of course, the entire team. It was fantastic to see so many ‘Grello’ fans trackside, and we truly appreciate this great support. We would have loved to put on a strong show for longer. Our goal is clear: to come back even stronger next year and bring the #992 to the finish with a successful result,” said Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH.

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH, added: “Unfortunately, an early end for our ‘Grello’ Porsche at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The car went off due to oil on the track - an incident for which Kévin bears no responsibility. This is the harsh reality of this race: situations like these can always happen and are nearly impossible to predict. After the impact, the car was initially able to continue, but a belt came loose, causing irreparable engine damage. Naturally, the disappointment is huge. But this is also part of motorsport: it brings extreme highs and lows, and setbacks often follow success. That is what shapes both a team and the individuals within it. The key is to keep going and come back stronger. I feel incredibly sorry for everyone involved - for the entire team, our partners and the fans. ‘Grello’ stands for the ambition to fight at the front whenever we compete. And when you fight for the top, you are always operating at the limit - and therefore at the highest level of risk. We were competitive and fully in the fight. It would have been a tough race, but I believe we could have delivered a strong performance. All the more unfortunate that our race ended so early. But we will not let this hold us back.”

Quotes on the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring:

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH: “Unfortunately, our race ended very early. I was in my second stint, on the second lap, in Brünnchen. I had just overtaken another car when I suddenly lost the rear due to oil on the track. There were no flags and no car ahead to warn me. I hit the barrier and the rear of the car was heavily damaged. I’m very sorry for the entire team - they did a fantastic job all week, as always, so this is a tough situation to accept. But that’s motorsport, and especially at the Nürburgring, anything can happen. Thanks to all the fans for the amazing support - I couldn’t be more grateful and was really happy to see so many people trackside.”

Ayhancan Güven, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “After finishing second in the last two years, it is obviously disappointing not to make it to the finish this time. An incident caused by oil on the track took us out of the race. We had a very competitive car and were in a strong position among the front runners. Conditions were challenging throughout - frequent light rain and oil on certain sections of the track. On the Nordschleife, especially with such a large field, these kinds of unpredictable situations unfortunately happen. This time it affected us, and I’m particularly sorry for the entire team, who once again put in a huge effort. A big thank you also to all our partners and fans for their support throughout the week.”

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “The retirement is obviously extremely bitter. We had everything in place to fight for another podium or even the win, which makes it all the more disappointing that the race ended in this way. When there is oil on the track, there is practically nothing a driver can do - and unfortunately this has been an ongoing issue for us throughout the season. Nevertheless, my sincere thanks go to the entire team. Everyone’s commitment was once again outstanding and each individual did a perfect job. For me, this was my fourth consecutive year in the ‘Grello’. For four years in a row, everything has worked perfectly on the team side, yet the big result has so far eluded us. Right after a race like this, it’s difficult to put into perspective - but I am certain that we will come back and attack again next year.”