Manthey will arrive at Fuji targeting its first FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) victory of the season after its strongest result of 2026 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) revived its push for a third consecutive LMGT3 crown.
The German squad has remained winless through the opening five rounds despite entering the campaign as the only team to have won the LMGT3 title since the category replaced GTE Am in 2024. However, its two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries remain firmly in championship contention ahead of the 6 Hours of Fuji from 25-27 September.
The #92 The Bend Manthey Porsche of Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz sits third in the LMGT3 teams’ standings with 49 points, while the #91 Manthey DK Engineering entry of James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven follows just one point behind in fifth.
TF Sport’s #33 Corvette leads with 76 points, leaving both Manthey crews within striking distance with Fuji, Barcelona and Monza still to come.
COTA podium gives #91 Manthey renewed momentum
The #91 produced its strongest performance of the season at the Lone Star Le Mans, where Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven finished second after remaining among the leading LMGT3 contenders throughout the six-hour race.
Cottingham started third and immediately established the Porsche inside the lead group. His pace during a strong double stint earned him the fan-voted Goodyear Wingfoot Award as LMGT3 Driver of the Day before he handed the car to Boguslavskiy.
Boguslavskiy and Güven maintained the pressure as changing conditions and intermittent rain complicated strategy around the Circuit of The Americas. Manthey eventually put the #91 into the lead, but a five-second penalty for leaving the circuit and gaining a lasting advantage compromised its opportunity to convert the performance into victory.
The Porsche ultimately finished second, almost exactly the same margin behind the winner as the penalty it had received.
Manthey Racing Director Patrick Arkenau nevertheless viewed the result as a significant step after a season in which outright success has so far remained elusive.
“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 Arkenau, while speaking to FIAWEC.com. “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.”
Cottingham sees COTA as proof of Manthey’s progress
The runner-up result marked Cottingham’s first WEC podium since the opening round of the 2025 campaign in Qatar and his first with Manthey.
More importantly for the British driver, COTA demonstrated that the #91 now possesses the performance required to fight at the front consistently.
The crew had entered the Texas round 10th in the standings but climbed five positions through its 18-point haul. That leaves Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven 28 points from the championship lead with three rounds remaining.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the podium finish,” enthused Cottingham. “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.”
The result continued an upward trend that Manthey believes began earlier in the campaign, with the #91 increasingly able to challenge nearer the front as the team refined its package.
Güven targets further progress after maiden WEC podium
COTA also delivered Güven’s first WEC podium in only his fifth championship appearance.
The reigning DTM champion joined Cottingham and Boguslavskiy in the #91 for 2026 as part of a revised Manthey line-up and has gradually adapted his extensive GT3 experience to the demands of WEC’s LMGT3 format.
For Güven, the result provided tangible evidence of the progress the crew has made since Imola.
“A superb performance by the whole team,” echoed Güven. “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.”
That motivation arrives at a crucial point in the championship. A strong result in Japan could move the #91 significantly closer to TF Sport, particularly if the leaders encounter another difficult weekend after failing to score at COTA.
#92 remains in title fight despite difficult Austin race
While the #91 enjoyed its best weekend of the season, COTA proved far more difficult for Manthey’s sister entry.
The #92 had reached the podium three times during the opening four rounds and entered Austin as one of the strongest challengers in the championship. However, an early collision involving Bronze-rated driver Shahin caused steering damage and effectively ended the crew’s hopes of scoring meaningful points.
Shahin, Pera and Lietz fell six laps behind as the team addressed the damage and eventually left Texas without adding to their total.
Despite that setback, the #92 remains third with 49 points, 27 behind the championship-leading #33 TF Sport Corvette and only one ahead of its Manthey stablemate.
That position leaves both cars capable of mounting a title challenge during the final three rounds, although Manthey can afford few further setbacks as the points battle tightens.
Manthey chasing first win after two years of LMGT3 dominance
The absence of a victory in 2026 stands in contrast to Manthey’s record since WEC introduced LMGT3.
Manthey PureRxcing won the inaugural title in 2024 after taking four victories across the season, including the first LMGT3 race in Qatar. The team also secured the championship with a round remaining, while its sister Manthey EMA Porsche finished second in the standings. (FIA WEC)
Manthey then retained the title in 2025 through the #92 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche of Lietz, Pera and Ryan Hardwick. Victory at Le Mans helped propel the crew into the championship lead before consistency through the remainder of the season secured another LMGT3 crown. (FIA WEC)
The team therefore enters the closing stages of 2026 attempting to protect an unbeaten championship record in the class.
Its campaign has unfolded differently this time. Rather than controlling the standings through multiple victories, Manthey has remained in contention through consistency and podium finishes while TF Sport established the early advantage.
A first win at Fuji would consequently carry significance beyond the result itself. It would strengthen either crew’s championship prospects while extending Manthey’s run of race-winning seasons in LMGT3.
Boguslavskiy sets sights on Fuji victory
Boguslavskiy believes COTA placed the #91 firmly back into championship contention after its difficult opening rounds.
The Russian driver praised the wider team effort in Austin and highlighted the significance of finally reaching the podium with Cottingham and Güven.
“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.”
Fuji therefore arrives with both Manthey entries still relevant to the championship fight but following contrasting COTA weekends.
The #92 must rebound from its first scoreless race of the season, while the #91 enters Japan with its strongest momentum yet after coming within reach of victory in Texas.
Manthey has spent the first five rounds proving that it can remain competitive without winning. Over the final three, beginning at Fuji, the defending champion will now look to convert that consistency into the result it has been missing throughout 2026.
