Buoyed by its finest finish of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign to-date earlier this month in Texas, LMGT3 category powerhouse Manthey has set its sights on a first victory of the season next weekend at Fuji (25-27 September) as it accelerates its push for a third consecutive crown.
Unbeaten in the LMGT3 title battle since the inception of the class in 2024, Manthey might have yet to win a race this year, but its two line-ups are nonetheless well-placed in the overall classification five rounds in, separated by a single point in third and fifth positions with three events remaining.
While the #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R – entered under The Bend Manthey banner and three times a podium-finisher this season – failed to score in Austin after an early collision for Bronze-rated driver, Yasser Shahin resulted in steering damage that left the Australian alongside team-mates Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz running six laps down, the sister #91 Manthey DK Engineering car was a prominent contender throughout.
From third on the grid, James Cottingham held his own in the leading pack during the initial stages, prior to handing over to Timur Boguslavskiy following a superb double-stint behind the wheel that earned the Brit the fan-voted Goodyear Wingfoot Award as LMGT3 ‘Driver of the Day’.
Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven subsequently maintained that positive momentum to successfully secure the runner-up spoils, although the #91 had just taken the lead when it was handed a five-second penalty for going off-track and gaining a lasting advantage – almost exactly the same margin by which the crew ultimately missed out on glory.
“Lone Star Le Mans was once again an exciting race, and – with light rain falling on-and-off – a strategically challenging one for the teams,” reflected Manthey Racing Director, Patrick Arkenau. “The start went well for us; James put in a great performance and was at times the fastest LMGT3 driver on the track.
“The penalty may have cost us the chance of victory, but we are nevertheless very satisfied with second place. For James, Timur and Ayhancan, it was a thoroughly deserved first joint podium finish in FIA WEC. Our two cars are now just one point apart in the championship and overall, the battle at the top is extremely close, so we can look forward to an exciting rest of the season.”
Indeed, the result has catapulted Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven five places up the order from the tenth position they occupied pre-event to within 28 points of the summit of the LMGT3 standings, leaving the trio poised to pounce over the final three outings – beginning with the forthcoming 6 Hours of Fuji.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the podium finish,” enthused Cottingham, whose only previous trip to the rostrum in the series had come in the 2025 curtain-raising contest in Qatar. “We had the chance to win the race, which shows our potential and how much our performance has improved since the start of the season. I’m also really pleased to have won the Wingfoot Award; it’s a great honour, and I’m very proud of it – it was a special day in Austin.”
“A superb performance by the whole team,” echoed 2025 DTM champion, Güven of his maiden podium in just his fifth FIA WEC appearance. “We’ve been improving steadily since Imola and now, it’s paid off. James and Timur really delivered, and we certainly got the most out of our package. I’d obviously have liked to have been in the running for the win, but second place is very satisfying and we’ll be heading to Fuji feeling motivated.”
“I’m almost more delighted for the whole team, James and Ayhancan than I am for myself,” added Boguslavskiy. “We’ve finally achieved what they all deserve in making it onto the podium, and in such a difficult race with the temperatures and occasional light rain. I’m really pleased with the many points we scored for the championship. We’re now in the fight for the lead and will be aiming to secure our first win at Fuji.”
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