• The Bend Manthey celebrates its second FIA WEC victory of the season in Monza
• Manthey DK Engineering finishes fifth in the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale
• Riccardo Pera receives the Goodyear Wingfoot Award from FIA WEC fans at his home race
• Richard Lietz claims victory in the 100th race of his FIA WEC career 

Monza. Following the victory in Barcelona, The Bend Manthey also claimed victory in the final FIA World Endurance Championship race of the season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. With a second consecutive win, the team remained the only LMGT3 entry to win more than one race during the 2026 FIA WEC season. Over the course of the year, Yasser Shahin (Australia), Riccardo Pera (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria) secured a total of five podium finishes. Despite this success, the trio narrowly missed out on the LMGT3 Teams' Endurance Trophy. The No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R finishes the season second in the championship standings with 99 points, just eight points behind champions TF Sport (#33). The victory in Monza carried additional significance for Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz. The Austrian contested the 100th race of his FIA World Endurance Championship career, becoming only the second driver in the history of the series to reach this milestone. His team-mate Riccardo Pera was also honoured at his home event with the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, presented by FIA WEC fans to the outstanding LMGT3 driver of the race.
 
The sister car of Manthey DK Engineering, driven by James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven, completed the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale in Monza in fifth place. Over the course of the season, the trio recorded five top-ten finishes in the LMGT3 category and celebrated a podium result with second place in Austin. With a total of 64 championship points, the No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 R finished eighth in the LMGT3 Teams' Endurance Trophy standings following the eight championship rounds in Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, the United States, Japan and Spain. 

"With the 6 Hours of Monza, our 2026 motorsport season has come to an end. We arrived at the season finale with the No. 92 still holding a small chance of securing our third consecutive championship title. To make that happen, we needed to win the race – and that's exactly what we achieved. Of course, it is disappointing that it still wasn't enough to secure the championship in the end. TF Sport also delivered a strong result with third place and deservedly won the title. After winning back-to-back championships, finishing second this season is both an achievement and additional motivation to come back and fight for the title once again."

"The race was shaped by numerous yellow flag periods, penalties and incidents, but we kept a cool head throughout. After the No. 92 was initially set back by a penalty, a well-timed Virtual Safety Car period worked in our favour. That allowed us to capitalise on our strategic strengths and take the lead of the race. Strong performances from Riccardo and Richard ultimately secured our second consecutive FIA WEC victory. We were less fortunate strategically with the No. 91. James delivered a very strong performance during the opening two stints. When another car stopped on track, we consciously decided to take a strategic risk and brought the car into the pits. Unfortunately, our plan did not work out, as a Virtual Safety Car was called instead of the expected Full Course Yellow. That cost us several positions. Timur once again continued the strong form he has shown in recent races, and Ayhancan was very quick as well. Finishing fifth still represents a solid result. Looking back, a podium finish was certainly possible, but when you take strategic risks in motorsport, you also have to accept that not every decision will pay off. That's simply part of racing. Today's result reflects the No. 91's season as a whole. With our podium finish in Austin, we demonstrated the true potential of the package. Too often, however, small setbacks prevented us from consistently showing that potential."

"Finishing second in the 2026 FIA WEC season, after winning both the championship and Le Mans in each of the previous two years, is another success for our team and a testament to the hard work of every single team member. This is especially true considering that just one month ago we also secured our third DTM championship in four years.", Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH, adds. "The entire crew has delivered extraordinary performances over the past four years, and it is difficult to put into words how proud we are of that achievement. Next week, our next campaign already begins with the opening round of the 2026/2027 Asian Le Mans Series. We will approach that challenge with exactly the same ambition and determination.", sums up Martin Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH. 

Quotes on 2026 '6 Hours of Monza':

James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "This season was full of highs and lows and gave us plenty of memorable moments along the way. I really enjoyed racing alongside Timur and Ayhancan and being part of this team. Of course, we were hoping for a stronger championship result overall, but things didn’t always fall our way. Nevertheless, I’m very proud of what we achieved together. What the entire crew delivered at every single race weekend was incredible. Nobody at Manthey ever gives up or settles for anything less than 100 percent, and that is something I truly appreciate. I’d also like to congratulate the team on securing its second victory of the season, as well as Yasser, Riccardo and Richard. They did a fantastic job throughout the year and fully deserve this success."

Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "I'm pleased with both our race in Monza and our season overall. Things didn't always go according to plan, but that's motorsport. It was a pleasure to share the car with James and Ayhancan throughout the year, and I'm grateful for everything we achieved together. I'd also like to congratulate our sister car on securing a second consecutive victory. Yasser, Riccardo and Richard did a fantastic job all season long and fully deserved their success. It was great to see the team finish the year on such a high note."

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "Fifth place was the best result we could achieve today. During the race, we took a strategic gamble in an attempt to fight for victory, but unfortunately that decision ended up costing us some positions. From that point on, our focus was on recovering the lost ground and getting the most out of the remainder of the race. Congratulations to our sister car on the win. I'd also like to thank James, Timur, as well as all the mechanics and engineers at Manthey for a fantastic season. It was a pleasure to be part of this programme. While we ultimately didn't achieve the result we were aiming for in the championship, it was still an incredibly valuable experience and one that I learned a great deal from."

Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "It's not over until it's over - and today's race proved that once again. We gave absolutely everything and showed what we're capable of. Winning two races this season as the only team in the championship is something I'm incredibly proud of. I'm very grateful to my team-mates and the entire crew. Of course, we would have loved to win the championship, but at the end of the day we can't blame ourselves for anything. We did our job and gave it everything we had. This result simply wouldn't have been possible without the relentless effort and commitment of every single person in the team. A huge thank you to all of them."

Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "It's incredible to take another victory just one race after our win in Barcelona. Winning here in Monza, at my home race, makes this success even more special. On top of that, being awarded the Goodyear Wingfoot Award is something I'm extremely proud of, especially with my family and friends watching from the grandstands. A huge thank you goes to Yasser and Richie for an amazing season together. Once again, it has been a fantastic year racing alongside them and being part of the Manthey family. This victory is a perfect way to end the season and one I'll remember for a long time."

Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "To be honest, the race and especially the final minutes were extremely tough, and the pressure was probably a little higher than I would have liked. The level of competition in the FIA World Endurance Championship is simply incredibly high. I feel very fortunate to have reached the milestone of 100 FIA WEC races and, on top of that, to celebrate a victory today together with my team-mates and Manthey. I truly love being part of this team and greatly value the opportunity to race alongside Riccardo and Yasser. Of course, we would have liked to win the championship, but looking back, we had a really strong season and enjoyed every step of the journey together. That's something nobody can take away from us."