Manthey has confirmed its driver line-ups for the 2026/27 ALMS, with the German outfit returning for its third consecutive season with two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries. The Meuspath-based team will combine experienced endurance racing competitors with emerging talent as it aims to reclaim the GT championship following a closely contested 2025/26 campaign.
Max Moritz, Klaus Bachler and Raphael Rennhofer will share the No. 91 Porsche, while Joel Monegro, Richard Lietz and Flynt Schuring will compete in the sister No. 92 entry. Both cars will feature Manthey’s distinctive Streamline Design livery, previously used during the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours and DTM season finale.
The announcement comes ahead of the championship’s opening double-header at Circuit Paul Ricard on 14–15 November, where Manthey will face a competitive 29-car GT3 field.
Manthey targets second ALMS championship after challenging title defence
Manthey enters its third ALMS campaign seeking to return to the top of the GT standings after narrowly missing out on defending its championship during the 2025/26 season. The team enjoyed a successful debut in 2024/25, securing the GT title with Antares Au, Klaus Bachler and Joel Sturm, while its sister entry finished runner-up.
However, the following campaign proved more challenging despite another consistent performance. Au, Bachler and Loek Hartog secured four podium finishes across Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, collecting 70 points and finishing third in the championship, level with the runner-up crew. Meanwhile, the No. 92 Porsche of François Hériau, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz finished eighth with 38 points.
Although Manthey remained competitive throughout the season, the team ultimately fell short of securing back-to-back ALMS titles. It has therefore assembled two revised driver combinations for 2026/27, retaining Bachler and Lietz as experienced members of its wider racing programme.
Manthey Head of Racing Patrick Arkenau highlighted the importance of combining established drivers with graduates from the organisation’s development programmes.
“After narrowly missing out on defending our title last year, our goal is to fight for the championship again this season.”
The German outfit will now aim to translate its extensive GT3 experience into another championship challenge, with both entries expected to compete for victories.
Moritz and Bachler reunite in No. 91 Porsche
The No. 91 Porsche will feature an established partnership between Max Moritz and Klaus Bachler, who competed together during the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season. Their campaign concluded with a podium finish at the 4 Hours of Portimão, providing a positive conclusion to their European programme before their return to ALMS competition.
Bachler brings considerable experience to the line-up, having competed across several of Manthey’s major endurance racing programmes since 2024. The Austrian was part of the team’s championship-winning 2024/25 ALMS entry and has also achieved success in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
His familiarity with the Porsche 911 GT3 R and Manthey’s operations will provide continuity as the team introduces a new driver combination. Meanwhile, Moritz returns to the cockpit alongside a teammate with whom he has already developed a working relationship throughout a full ELMS campaign.
The pair will be joined by Raphael Rennhofer, who gained his first experience alongside Moritz and Bachler during the final round of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season at Portimão. That appearance allowed the complete No. 91 line-up to work together before the start of the ALMS campaign.
Rennhofer steps up to GT3 following Manthey development success
For Raphael Rennhofer, the move represents an important milestone in a career closely connected to Manthey’s driver development initiatives. The Austrian began competing in karting before progressing into several GT4 championships between 2023 and 2025, while simultaneously building a successful record in competitive sim racing.
Rennhofer secured two titles in the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PEETN), a championship organised by Manthey. His performances helped establish a pathway into real-world endurance racing, leading to his first full season on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2026.
Competing in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN), Rennhofer raced a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the CUP 2 category and received the PETN Junior 2027 title in October. His progression through the team’s development structure has now earned him his first full-season GT3 programme.
Rennhofer welcomed the opportunity to continue working with Manthey while acknowledging the challenges of stepping into a new category.
“My first full-season GT3 programme is naturally a big step, but thanks to my experience in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, sim racing and my long-standing connection with Manthey, it feels like the right move at exactly the right time.”
The Austrian also expressed confidence in the team’s potential, identifying race victories as the target for his debut campaign alongside Moritz and Bachler.
Monegro continues Manthey development journey in No. 92 Porsche
The No. 92 Porsche brings together another combination of established experience and emerging talent, with Joel Monegro joining Richard Lietz and Flynt Schuring. For Monegro, the ALMS campaign represents the latest stage of a motorsport career developed through Manthey’s Porsche Track Experience programme.
The Dominican driver began with GT3 training sessions before progressing into competitive motorsport through the Porsche Sprint Challenge Suisse. He subsequently achieved considerable success during the 2026 season, claiming both the overall and AM class titles in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe Club Division.
Monegro also gained experience in the International GT Open, where he completed his first year of GT3 competition in the Porsche 911 GT3 R and secured another class championship title. These achievements provided the foundation for his progression into the competitive ALMS GT field.
Reflecting on his continued partnership with Manthey, Monegro highlighted the importance of his previous experience and the opportunity to race alongside Lietz and Schuring.
“After a successful first year of GT3 racing in the International GT Open with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, which also brought another class championship title, I’m very excited to race with Manthey again at this level and continue developing the relationship with the team alongside Flynt and Richard.”
His development provides another example of Manthey’s approach to supporting drivers through different stages of their racing careers.
Lietz and Schuring bring experience and emerging talent to Manthey
Richard Lietz will provide an experienced presence in the No. 92 Porsche, continuing a longstanding association with Manthey that has produced considerable success in international endurance racing. The Austrian has represented the team in ALMS since 2024 and brings extensive knowledge of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, alongside multiple class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Lietz has also remained an important part of Manthey’s WEC programme, helping the team secure consecutive LMGT3 championships in 2024 and 2025. More recently, he partnered Yasser Shahin and Riccardo Pera to claim victory at the 2026 6 Hours of Barcelona, ending Porsche’s winless run in the category and strengthening Manthey’s latest championship challenge.
Meanwhile, Flynt Schuring joins the team as one of Porsche’s emerging talents. The Dutch driver, selected as a Porsche Junior for 2026, has established an impressive record in Porsche one-make racing, including championship success in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Schuring subsequently gained his first GT3 experience during 2026, competing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and in GT World Challenge Europe. His move to Manthey also follows the success of his older brother Morris, who has achieved victories and championship honours with the organisation across WEC, IMSA and DTM competition.
Manthey highlights importance of driver development programmes
The newly assembled line-ups demonstrate Manthey’s commitment to developing drivers across its different motorsport operations. Both Rennhofer and Monegro have progressed through programmes connected to the organisation, while Schuring joins after establishing himself within Porsche’s junior racing structure.
Their participation alongside established endurance racing competitors reflects Manthey’s approach to combining driver development with immediate competitive ambitions. Bachler and Lietz will provide considerable experience across the two entries, while Moritz, Rennhofer, Monegro and Schuring aim to build on their recent achievements.
Arkenau emphasised the importance of these connections, particularly as the team prepares to challenge for another GT championship.
“These line-ups demonstrate how closely connected the different areas and projects within Manthey are. Now, we want to translate that collaboration into sporting success and challenge for the title with both cars,”
Furthermore, both Porsches will feature the Streamline Design livery previously seen during the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours and DTM season finale. The distinctive design provides a visual connection between Manthey’s different racing programmes, including its DTM operations with Thomas Preining and Ricardo Feller.
Manthey prepares for competitive 29-car ALMS GT field
Manthey’s return comes as ALMS prepares for a highly competitive 2026/27 season, featuring a maximum 47-car entry across Hypercar, LMP2 and GT3. The confirmed entry list includes 29 GT3 cars representing eight manufacturers, with Porsche supplying six 911 GT3 R entries.
The championship will also feature an unusual European calendar, having temporarily relocated from its traditional Asian and Middle Eastern venues because of ongoing regional instability. Six four-hour races will take place across three double-header weekends, maintaining the championship’s condensed format despite the geographical changes.
The season begins at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on 13–15 November 2026 before continuing at Circuito de Jerez in Spain on 15–17 January 2027. The championship will conclude at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal on 19–21 February, where the final two races will determine the championship standings.
The demanding schedule will place particular importance on consistency, reliability and effective teamwork, with limited opportunities to recover from difficult results.
For Manthey, the upcoming campaign represents an opportunity to reclaim the ALMS GT title while continuing to develop its younger drivers. With two competitive Porsche line-ups confirmed, the German outfit will aim to challenge for victories from the opening weekend at Paul Ricard.
