Despite facing a tougher season than in its two title-winning years, Porsche powerhouse Manthey is refusing to give up the fight for a third consecutive FIA World Endurance Championship crown – after closing the gap at the summit of the standings courtesy of its first victory of the 2026 campaign just over a week ago in Barcelona.
Bronze-graded driver Yasser Shahin progressed safely through the first part of qualifying in Spain in sixth place amongst the 18 high-calibre LMGT3 contenders, with The Bend Manthey team-mate Riccardo Pera proceeding to put the #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R on the front row of the grid in the Hyperpole shootout, missing out on pole position by the slender margin of just 0.122 seconds.
Astonishingly, the result represented only the second time all season the car had lined up inside the top ten – and marked comfortably its best starting slot of the year. Taking to the wheel for the opening stint in the race, Shahin made sure not to squander it.
On a damp track surface, the Australian swiftly snatched the class lead from pole-sitter, Antaers Au, and as his rivals duelled energetically in his wake, he went on to make good his escape, rapidly re-establishing his advantage after a first hour safety car intervention eradicated the buffer he had built. His stellar effort duly earned Shahin the fan-voted Goodyear Wingfoot Award for the most impressive LMGT3 display.
Pera and Richard Lietz subsequently continued that good work, artfully mastering a number of neutralisations and changeable conditions to take the chequered flag first at the end of six hours of action around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The result catapulted The Bend Manthey from seventh spot up to second in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams, more than halving its deficit to the top of the table from 37 points to 18, with 26 still in play in next month’s 6 Hours of Monza finale – home turf for Pera.
“It was a great weekend for us in Barcelona – one I really enjoyed,” enthused the Italian. “After a difficult run, it felt great to return to winning ways in FIA WEC. It was special to spend so much of the race at the front and to help convert the strong performances of Yasser and Richard into a victory. A big ‘thank you’ to the entire Manthey team. This win means a lot to me, and I’m highly motivated to finish the season on a high."
"It was a challenging race with changing weather conditions and multiple safety car periods,” added ultra-experienced Austrian, Lietz. “Yasser laid the foundations for this victory. I’m delighted that he received the Wingfoot Award, because he absolutely deserved it – I’m very proud of his performance.
“In the end, everything simply came together for us. We were able to build gaps at key moments, and as always, the team executed brilliantly both strategically and in the pits. Once again, I’m proud and grateful to be part of this team and this success.”
The crew’s Spanish triumph made The Bend Manthey the seventh different LMGT3 winner from as many races in 2026 – a new record in the production-based category, underscoring its fiercely-competitive nature. The squad’s Racing Director, Patrick Arkenau, hopes there may yet be one more chapter to write in the story of a truly captivating campaign.
“We’re extremely happy to have finally stood on the top step of the FIA WEC podium for the first time this season,” he acknowledged. “The #92 had an excellent race. Yasser started in still damp conditions, immediately established himself at the front and took the lead shortly after an early Virtual Safety Car period. Despite several safety car interventions, he was able to maintain the lead and repeatedly build a gap to the cars behind. He fully deserved the Wingfoot Award for that outstanding drive.
“Riccardo and Richard then shared the remaining four hours of the race and controlled proceedings from the front. The advantage Yasser created gave us the flexibility to react perfectly to every strategic situation and ultimately secure victory.
“After difficult races at COTA and Fuji, it was especially satisfying to see the #92 bounce back with a win and move up to second place in the championship. Everything is still possible heading into the season finale at Monza, and we will do everything we can to finish strongly.”
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