Manthey Racing Director Patrick Arkenau believes a third consecutive FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMGT3 title remains achievable after The Bend Manthey secured its first victory of the 2026 season at the 6 Hours of Barcelona. The #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 of Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz controlled much of the penultimate round, significantly reducing its championship deficit ahead of the Monza finale.
The victory moved The Bend Manthey from seventh to second in the LMGT3 Teams’ Championship, cutting the gap to the leading #33 TF Sport Corvette from 37 points to 18. With 26 points still available at Monza, the German outfit retains an opportunity to secure another championship despite experiencing a more challenging campaign than in its previous two title-winning seasons.
Barcelona also marked a significant achievement for the category, with The Bend Manthey becoming the seventh different LMGT3 winner in seven races. The result established a new record for the class, highlighting the competitive nature of the 2026 championship.
Manthey converts Barcelona qualifying performance into victory
The Bend Manthey entered Barcelona looking to recover from difficult outings at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and Fuji, which had significantly affected its championship challenge. Although the #92 crew had demonstrated competitive pace earlier in the season, its failure to convert several opportunities into strong results left it facing a substantial deficit before the final two rounds.
However, qualifying provided an encouraging start to the Spanish weekend. Shahin progressed through the opening session in sixth, allowing Pera to contest Hyperpole. The Italian subsequently secured second on the grid, finishing just 0.122s behind the pole-sitting #10 Garage 59 McLaren.
The result represented only the second time the #92 Porsche had qualified inside the top ten during 2026, making its front-row starting position particularly significant.
Shahin capitalised on that opportunity during Sunday’s race, taking the LMGT3 lead from the opening stint as drivers navigated the damp circuit. Despite repeated Safety Car interruptions, the Australian maintained his advantage and repeatedly extended the gap to his rivals.
His performance earned him the fan-voted Goodyear Wingfoot Award, recognising his contribution to the team’s victory.
Pera and Lietz subsequently maintained control through the remaining four hours, navigating changing conditions and further neutralisations to secure the #92 Porsche’s first victory of 2026. The trio finished 4.750s ahead of the #10 Garage 59 McLaren, with Team WRT’s #69 BMW completing the podium.
Pera and Lietz praise Manthey’s Barcelona performance
Following the victory, Pera expressed satisfaction with the team’s return to winning ways after several frustrating rounds. The Italian highlighted the contributions of his teammates and the importance of converting a competitive qualifying performance into a strong race result.
“It was a great weekend for us in Barcelona – one I really enjoyed,” Pera said. “After a difficult run, it felt great to return to winning ways in FIA WEC. It was special to spend so much of the race at the front and to help convert the strong performances of Yasser and Richard into a victory.”
The result also provided an important confidence boost ahead of Monza, where Pera will compete on home soil.
“A big ‘thank you’ to the entire Manthey team. This win means a lot to me, and I’m highly motivated to finish the season on a high.”
Meanwhile, Lietz emphasised Shahin’s decisive opening stint, particularly given the difficult conditions and repeated interruptions that complicated the team’s race.
“It was a challenging race with changing weather conditions and multiple safety car periods,” Lietz explained. “Yasser laid the foundations for this victory. I’m delighted that he received the Wingfoot Award, because he absolutely deserved it – I’m very proud of his performance.”
The Austrian also praised the team’s strategic execution, which allowed the #92 Porsche to maintain control despite the changing circumstances.
“In the end, everything simply came together for us. We were able to build gaps at key moments, and as always, the team executed brilliantly both strategically and in the pits. Once again, I’m proud and grateful to be part of this team and this success.”
Arkenau credits collective effort for Manthey’s recovery
Arkenau echoed his drivers’ assessment, highlighting the importance of Shahin’s opening stint and the team’s ability to respond strategically throughout the race.
The Racing Director acknowledged that the victory carried additional significance after a challenging run of results, with the team previously struggling to reproduce the consistency that secured its 2024 and 2025 LMGT3 championships.
“We’re extremely happy to have finally stood on the top step of the FIA WEC podium for the first time this season,” Arkenau said. “The #92 had an excellent race. Yasser started in still damp conditions, immediately established himself at the front and took the lead shortly after an early Virtual Safety Car period.”
Although repeated neutralisations threatened the team’s advantage, Shahin continued establishing a gap before handing the Porsche over to his teammates.
“Riccardo and Richard then shared the remaining four hours of the race and controlled proceedings from the front. The advantage Yasser created gave us the flexibility to react perfectly to every strategic situation and ultimately secure victory.”
The result represented an important turnaround after Manthey’s struggles at COTA and Fuji, allowing the #92 crew to re-enter championship contention with one round remaining.
Manthey remains in contention for third consecutive WEC LMGT3 title
The Bend Manthey enters the 6 Hours of Monza with 74 points, trailing the championship-leading #33 TF Sport Corvette by 18. Meanwhile, the #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette occupies third with 70 points, followed by Team WRT’s #69 BMW on 66.
All four entries remain mathematically capable of securing the LMGT3 Teams’ Championship, although TF Sport retains a substantial advantage heading into the final round.
The Barcelona victory revived Manthey’s championship challenge after a difficult period that included setbacks at Le Mans, COTA and Fuji. With 26 points available at Monza, another strong performance could allow Shahin, Pera and Lietz to overturn the deficit, depending on the results of their rivals.
Arkenau remains determined to capitalise on the opportunity and conclude the campaign with another championship.
“After difficult races at COTA and Fuji, it was especially satisfying to see the #92 bounce back with a win and move up to second place in the championship. Everything is still possible heading into the season finale at Monza, and we will do everything we can to finish strongly.”
The 2026 WEC season concludes at the 6 Hours of Monza on 6–8 November, where Manthey will attempt to extend its LMGT3 championship-winning streak to three consecutive seasons.
