It was a challenging outing at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans for Porsche, as the manufacturer celebrates 75 years of Motorsport.
The team was represented by two Porsche 911 GT3 R, fielded by Manthey, and sporting a silver livery in tribute to 356 SL Coupé which took the first Porsche class victory in 1951.
In the very first outing for the manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951, Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche secured a class victory, kickstarting a legacy of excellence at the French endurance classic.
That very same car was present for this year’s edition of the race - its 94th running - and was proudly on display in the Porsche Experience Centre.
Lovingly restored by Rod Emory and Cameron Healy, the long-lost iconic car returned to its spiritual home for the second time, having previously visited in 2023 for the 100th anniversary of Le Mans.
This year, the team celebrated the anniversary of that car’s very first outing, with Manthey flying the flag for Porsche and fighting for a third win in a row.
The #91 car was shared by Ayhancan Güven, Timur Boguslavskiy and James Cottingham, while the sister #92 car was driven by Richard Lietz, Riccardo Pera and Yasser Shahin.
Sadly, both cars had a challenging race. A technical issue for the #92 early on slowed its progress, before a crash - also caused by a technical issue - ended the #91 car’s race with six hours to go.
#92: Fighting hard despite a technical issue
The Bend Manthey crew of Richard Lietz, Riccardo Pera and Yasser Shahin started 15th in the LMGT3 class for Saturday’s race after a difficult qualifying session.
Though they made progress early on, their race was disrupted at their second pitstop at the end of lap 21 when they were forced to make repairs due to a broken tie rod.
After 15 minutes in the pits, Shahin returned to the track three laps down from the leaders.
From there, it was a challenging race, with all three drivers trying their hardest to make progress despite their setbacks.
They battled through 24 hours and 30 pitstops, and all three drivers put in a brilliant effort to bring the car home. Pushing all the way, the trio crossed the line in 13th place in class.
Disappointment for the #91
It was a tough day for the #91 crew, with the highs and lows of Le Mans on display for the Manthey DK Engineering crew of Ayhancan Güven, Timur Boguslavskiy and James Cottingham.
They had a difficult start to the race, starting ninth before dropping outside the top 10, before a stunning first stint from Güven propelled the trio back into contention inside hour three.
By nightfall, they were well in the fight for a podium, leading at times while fighting the two Lexus cars for the top spot.
The trio continued throughout the night, running high inside the top five throughout the middle of the race.
But sadly, their race came to an abrupt end with just under six hours to go.
Güven was at the wheel when he lost the car and hit the wall at the first Mulsanne chicane due to a technical issue.
Fortunately, he was not injured, but the car was beyond repair and prompted a safety car to repair the barriers.
Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil brings thrilling support action to Le Mans
In support of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil held two thrilling races to showcase more Porsche customer racing action.
The South American One-Make Series travelled to the Circuit de la Sarthe to support the WEC race with a grid of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The series featured a special guest: 2022 and 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans driver and Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender.
He took part in the endurance classic in a Porsche 911 RSR, and his second outing was captured in the epic documentary Road to Le Mans.
Race 1 took place on Thursday, with Marcos Regadas taking pole position ahead of two-time champion Marçal Müller by just 0.008 seconds.
Regadas held his lead off the line before Müller made a bold overtake around the outside of the Michelin Chicane to run In front, and Jeff Giassi joined the battle for victory.
Giassi struggled to keep pace with the leaders, with a mistake at Indianapolis hampering his chances, and five-time champion Miguel Paludo put on an impressive display to pass three rivals and claim the lead.
But rainfall worked in Giassi’s favour, and he was soon able to retake the lead. Müller fought back, but was unable to catch Giassi, who crossed the line 0.144s ahead. Pietro Fantin (#117) rounded out the podium.
Top 3 in Race 1:
1. Jeff Giassi (#97) 2. Marçal Müller (#544) +0.144 3. Pietro Fantin (#117) +1:729
The second 45-minute race took place on Saturday, warming up the crowd for the main event.
Antonella Bassani started in pole position, followed by Pipo Massa, son of former Formula 1 driver Felipe, in second.
Bassani held on to her advantage at the start before Paludo took the lead at Mulsanne, before Race 1 podium finisher Fantin closed in.
Fantin stayed close to Paludo for several laps before eventually making a move for the lead before the Michelin Chicane, with Bassani third.
It proved decisive, with Fantin winning ahead of Bassani and Paludo.
Top 3 in Race 2:
1. Pietro Fantin (#117) 2. Antonella Bassani (#72) + 1.723 3. Miguel Paludo (#7) + 2.524
