Manthey Racing left the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of São Paulo with both of its Porsche 911 GT3 R entries inside the top four after a strong recovery through the LMGT3 field.
Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz secured third for The Bend Manthey in the No. 92 Porsche. Meanwhile, James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven charged from 11th on the grid to finish fourth in the No. 91 Manthey DK Engineering entry.
Consequently, Manthey strengthened its position in the championship battle and carried renewed momentum into the second half of the campaign.
Raeder praises Manthey’s error-free execution in 2026 WEC 6 Hours of São Paulo
Manthey Racing Managing Director Nicolas Raeder welcomed the team’s return to Interlagos and highlighted the circuit’s significance within international motorsport. More importantly, Raeder praised both crews for executing clean races and steadily moving through the order across the six-hour contest. He also identified the result as an important step in the No. 92 crew’s championship challenge.
“Racing in São Paulo is always something special. Interlagos has a unique atmosphere and a very distinctive character. The circuit tells so many stories, and you can feel the significance of this place for motorsport as soon as you enter the paddock,” said Raeder to the media, including Pit Debrief.
“That is why we always look forward to coming back here. We can be very satisfied with finishing third and fourth. Both cars completed strong and error-free races and worked their way forward over the six hours.
“For the #92 crew, the podium also means that we are firmly back in the championship fight in second place. At the same time, nothing is lost for the #91 crew either. Our goal is to build on this result and have both cars on the podium during the second half of the season.”
The result gave Manthey a strong platform for the remaining races. Although the No. 91 crew narrowly missed the podium, both entries demonstrated competitive race pace and capitalised on the team’s strategic decisions.
Cottingham credits strategy after No. 91 recovery
The No. 91 Manthey DK Engineering crew faced a difficult task after qualifying 11th. However, Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven maintained consistent pace and gradually climbed towards the front.
Manthey also used an aggressive early strategy to improve the car’s track position. In particular, the team shortened Cottingham’s opening stint, which helped the crew move into contention as the different strategies developed.
Cottingham praised the team’s decisions and the car’s average pace after the trio completed its recovery in fourth.
“It was a really tight race with green-flag running almost all the way through, which is quite surprising year after year on such a short and narrow circuit. Starting from a difficult qualifying position, we demonstrated very good average pace throughout the race and gradually worked our way forwards. The team made some very smart strategy calls, particularly with the short opening stint, which helped put us in a strong position.
“Finishing P4 and coming so close to the podium is something we can be pleased with. Of course, I’m also delighted for our sister car to secure another podium finish. Overall, it was a strong result for the team, and we’re looking forward to carrying this momentum into COTA.”
Cottingham’s opening stint laid the foundations for the recovery. Then, Boguslavskiy and Güven continued the team’s progress as the No. 91 moved closer to the podium positions.
Boguslavskiy maximises the No. 91 package; pleased with “fantastic” team result in São Paulo
Boguslavskiy completed his first race in Brazil and quickly adapted to the demands of Interlagos. He felt comfortable in the Porsche throughout the weekend and delivered competitive pace during his stint.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that some rivals held an outright performance advantage. Instead of relying solely on pace, Manthey used strategy, consistency and clean execution to bring both cars into the top four.
“It was my first time racing in Brazil, and it turned out to be a very positive weekend. I felt comfortable in the car from the beginning and was able to show strong pace during my stint. Finishing third and fourth as a team is a fantastic result and a great reward for everyone’s hard work.
“We probably didn’t have the outright pace of some of our competitors, but through a bold strategy, strong performances from all three drivers and excellent execution by the team, we were able to make the most of our package. In the end, we came away with a great result and some very valuable championship points.”
Güven happy with São Paulo recovery after 2026 Le Mans disappointment
Güven then helped complete the No. 91 crew’s charge through the field. The Turkish driver entered the closing battle with an opportunity to challenge the sister Porsche for third, but Lietz held the final podium position by half a second. Despite narrowly missing out, Güven viewed fourth place as a significant response to the crew’s disappointing 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Finishing P4 in São Paulo after starting from P11 is a really strong result. Throughout the race, we steadily worked our way forwards and stayed in contention, so to cross the line in fourth place, directly behind our sister car, is very satisfying.
“After the disappointment of Le Mans, it was great to be back fighting at the front and in the battle for the podium again – only missing out by half a second. The entire team and both of my team-mates did an outstanding job all weekend. There are a lot of positives to take away from this race, and hopefully we can carry this momentum into Austin and fight for our first podium there.”
Therefore, the No. 91 crew left Brazil without the podium it wanted but with proof that it could recover from a difficult starting position and challenge at the front.
Shahin celebrates hard-earned podium for No. 92
While the No. 91 worked forwards from the sixth row, Shahin, Pera and Lietz established the No. 92 Porsche as a podium contender. Shahin completed the opening phase before handing the car to his professional team-mates. The Australian driver described third place as the reward for a determined and demanding team performance.
“We are absolutely thrilled to come away from São Paulo with a podium finish. We came here determined to fight for a result like this, and it feels fantastic to come away with third place after such a close and hard-fought race. The whole team did an outstanding job, and this podium is a great reward for all the effort that went into this weekend. This was the definition of working for it.”
Pera subsequently helped bring the Porsche into the podium fight and enjoyed several close battles around Interlagos. The Italian also celebrated his first podium in Brazil and the crew’s third top-three result of the season.
“I’m incredibly happy with this P3. It’s our third podium of the season, which is something we can all be very proud of. It also marks my first podium in Brazil, making this result even more special.
“A huge thank you to the team – the car was fantastic throughout the race. We had a lot of great battles on track, and I really enjoyed being behind the wheel. Yasser and Richie both did an amazing job, and together with a strong strategy and flawless execution from the team, we were able to make this result possible. Now our focus is on carrying this momentum into COTA.”
The result kept the No. 92 crew firmly involved in the championship battle. However, the team still needed Lietz to withstand intense pressure during the closing stages before it could celebrate.
Lietz withstands late pressure to secure third in the 2026 WEC 6 Hours of São Paulo
Changing conditions and cooler temperatures created an increasingly difficult conclusion for Lietz. Furthermore, the LMGT3 field remained tightly grouped as several cars fought over the final podium position.
The Austrian defended third during the closing laps as the No. 88 Proton Competition Ford and the sister No. 91 Porsche closed in. Despite that pressure, he maximised the car’s available performance and secured valuable championship points.
“It was an exciting race – perhaps even a little more exciting than I would have liked. At the same time, it shows just how competitive the LMGT3 field has become.
“Despite the changing conditions, we managed to get the maximum out of our package. The cooler temperatures towards the end of the race certainly didn’t make things any easier, and defending our position was far from straightforward.
“That makes this third-place finish even more satisfying, as it allowed us to secure a top result and score valuable points for the championship. All three drivers did a fantastic job, and overall it was a challenging but very positive weekend for us.”
Ultimately, Manthey combined intelligent strategy, consistent driving and faultless execution to place both Porsches inside the top four. The No. 92 crew strengthened its championship bid with another podium, while the No. 91 crew responded to its Le Mans disappointment with a determined recovery.
Both crews will now target another step forward when the FIA WEC continues at the Circuit of The Americas, where Manthey aims to place both cars on the podium.
