Ahead of this weekend’s Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo (12-13 July) – round five of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign – Manthey Racing Managing Director Nicolas Raeder has reflected upon the Porsche-fielding outfit’s second consecutive LMGT3 category triumph at last month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For the second year in a row, Manthey Racing secured the LMGT3 class spoils in FIA WEC’s blue riband event in northern France, as Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz alongside stablemates Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera gave the German team its sixth victory at La Sarthe and 24th win in the series – a fitting number for the occasion. “Hopefully, we can achieve our 25th win this year too,” Raeder told fiawec.com. “We’re proud to have been more-or-less a permanent part of the FIA WEC family since 2013. And I hope we will remain so for a long time.”
The #92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 was not the fastest LMGT3 car at Le Mans, as notably shown by its fifth place on the grid. But the team delivered a near-perfect 24-hour race, with Bronze-rated driver Hardwick behind the wheel when tennis legend Roger Federer flagged away the start.
It proved to be an inspired choice as the American racer completed an impressive, nearly three-hour-long quadruple stint that put the car firmly in podium contention. “He’s a very experienced and hard-working driver who continuously works on improving himself – and most importantly, he’s a great team player,” underlines Raeder. “Success in FIA WEC only comes as a team, so it’s crucial that all three drivers work well together. This is very much a team sport – perhaps more than people often realise.”
Five hours into the twice-round-the-clock contest, Pera took the class lead. Thanks to the consistency of all three drivers and flawless execution by Manthey, by Sunday morning, it was the #92 Porsche’s race to lose. Veteran racer Lietz duly took the chequered flag to cement a second LMGT3 triumph in 2025 for Manthey 1st Phorm after the 6 Hours of Imola in April.
“Thanks to Ryan, we had a cushion right up to the end, which we were able to defend to the finish line,” commented the Austrian ace. “Of all my Le Mans starts so far, I think this race was one of the fastest I’ve ever driven, with the right Le Mans spirit and without many safety car phases – endurance racing at its best.”
Manthey’s success additionally marked Lietz’s sixth GT-level victory for Porsche in the greatest endurance race in the world, following those achieved in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2022 and 2024. “For me personally, Richard holds a very special place. In 2013, I was still a race engineer in FIA WEC, working on car #92, which Richard drove at the time,” recalls Raeder. “We won Le Mans together that year. I wasn’t particularly experienced back then, but we worked really well together. If a team-mate has a weakness, he doesn’t criticise or make it worse – instead, he tries to balance it out. That’s what makes him exceptional. It’s no coincidence he’s been in this sport for so long. Richie is an outstanding team player, which makes him such a perfect fit for the FIA WEC environment.”
Manthey 1st Phorm’s slender 33sec advantage over the pursuing #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari when the flag fell bore testament to the importance of Lietz’s experience, cool head and steady hands on the wheel. “Those 33 seconds show just how tight the competition is,” the team boss acknowledges. “The level of competition is extremely high. That’s exactly what makes this class so exciting – and winning under such conditions is especially rewarding.”
Thanks to the #92’s victory in the double-points round, Manthey 1st Phorm has rocketed to the summit of the 2025 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams standings. It’s a familiar position for the squad. With its #92 Manthey PureRxcing and #91 Manthey EMA entries, the outfit secured the two top spots in the 2024 FIA WEC classification. Earlier this year, Manthey similarly dominated the 2024-2025 Asian Le Mans Series.
According to its Managing Director, Manthey’s biggest strengths lie in balance and composure. “Everyone supports one another, and we have a clear understanding of who is good at what and – just as importantly – what someone may not be as strong at. We’ve developed a very deep understanding of the Porsche 911 GT3 R and the Goodyear tyres. Together with our drivers and engineers, I would say we’ve been able to optimise tyre management better than most.”
Tyre degradation will be a deciding factor this weekend as Manthey 1st Phorm endeavours to strengthen its grip in the chase for the LMGT3 crown in the forthcoming Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo. Last year, Raeder oversaw the #92’s success in Brazil. “In endurance racing, it’s difficult to truly assess your chances, because so many things can happen. But I always say: as long as we’re in a position to fight for the win, I’m happy with that.”
It remains to be seen whether Manthey will step up to do battle for outright wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship one day. Will the team run 963 Hypercars in the future? “That’s not a decision that lies in our hands – it’s not something we can influence,” concludes Raeder. “We are happy with what we have achieved and where we are at in LMGT3 so far. We are of course true racers at heart and always excited about new challenges, so if the opportunity ever presents itself, we’d certainly take a serious look at it...”
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