After TF Sport and Proton Competition, Manthey Racing is the latest player in the LMGT3 field to reveal its hand for the 2024 FIA WEC season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team will represent Porsche in collaboration with EMA Motorsport and PureRxcing. Richard Lietz, Morris Schuring and Yasser Shahin will share the wheel of the Manthey EMA #91 car, while the #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R entered by Manthey PureRxcing will be in the hands of Klaus Bachler, Alex Malykhin and Joel Sturm. Malykhin and Shahin are the two teams’ amateur drivers as stipulated in the LMGT3 rulebook.

Manthey – a familiar name in FIA WEC circles

The Manthey name is no stranger to the FIA WEC. The team ran two Porsche 911 RSRs in the LMGTE Pro class on behalf of the German manufacturer from 2013 – when it secured victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – to 2022. Manthey has won the French endurance classic a total of four times since 1999 and clinched five FIA World Endurance Championship titles.

“After the years we spent together with Porsche in the FIA WEC, we are delighted to have found two strong partners in EMA Motorsport and Pure Rxcing to return to the series,” said Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH. “Our goal is clear: we aim to build on our successes and compete for victories and the championship. With 18 cars, the new LMGT3 starting field promises thrilling races and a close championship battle. We are delighted to be part of the inaugural season of the LMGT3 in the WEC and look forward to seeing what this year has in store for us. I think our team is very well prepared and everyone is highly motivated and we hope to show that right from the start,” Raeder concluded.

"It's great to be back in the WEC after a year of absence and we're looking forward to the new challenges. For example, the change from the former GTE-Pro to a Pro-Am class,” said Patrick Arkenau, the company’s Head of Racing. “At the same time, we are also very happy that we have two promising driver pairings. Our expectation is that we will compete for the championship – with both cars. But Le Mans is also very high on our agenda. We are also excited to see how the whole procedure works with regard to the Balance of Performance, because that is also a first for us. Instead, the engine power will be regulated via the driveshaft, similar to the Hypercar category. This is also a very exciting topic for us,” Arkenau explained.

Richard Lietz is the most experienced driver of the six. The 40-year-old Austrian has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 14 times, winning the LMGTE Pro class in 2022. He said: “I'm delighted to have the opportunity to compete in the WEC with Manthey EMA. I think GT3 racing will get an even bigger boost through the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours and it's great to be a part of it. It will certainly be exciting, but also challenging, to be successful there – but together with Manthey, with whom I have celebrated several successes in the past and know many of the team, I am looking forward to the task. We will do our best and hopefully fight for podium places and a win or two.”