24h Le Mans
The 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans will be remembered as one of the most demanding and unpredictable races in recent history. Manthey EMA stood out from the pack in challenging, changeable weather conditions as they swept to victory in the new LMGT3 class to secure a significant win for Porsche.
The weather conditions at this year’s race put the drivers’ skills and the strategies of the 62 teams on the grid well and truly through the wringer. Yet Manthey EMA’s #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 sailed through the storm in the new LMGT3 class thanks to flawless tactics and a strong performance.
Yasser Shahin, Morris Schuring and Richard Lietz were the first to cross the line, one lap ahead of Team WRT’s #31 BMW M4 LMGT3. The win was all the more remarkable as the sister car, the Manthey PureRxcing #92 Porsche, had dominated the first half of the race. However, a technical problem relegated Aliaksandr Malykhin, Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler to 14th place.
Yasser Shahin couldn’t believe it, saying: “It’s unreal! It’s a huge flurry of emotions to come and win here. We’re pleased Le Mans chose us this year, it’s an honour to be with such a good team. I'm so lucky, we’re all part of the same family. It's been an awesome day. One for the memory books.”
Morris Schuring described the victory as a dream come true. The 19-year-old won the new LMGT3 class on his début 24 Hours of Le Mans. “Winning Le Mans is a dream; anyone would sign up for that. The team did an amazing job, providing us with such a good car, so well prepared. Everything had been thought about since December, then we executed a flawless race, picking the right tyres every time, which was key for this race. It was a difficult edition of Le Mans for my first time. I hope it doesn’t get more difficult than this! So I'm very happy with this win.”
Richard Lietz, the most seasoned driver of the trio with 18 Le Mans starts, said this year’s race was one of the most difficult of his career. “Finishing was a victory in itself because it wasn’t just a flat-out race. The technical input and strategy were very important for our team. In the end, we were the lucky ones, and I’m very happy to win this new race for Porsche with Morris and Yasser, and the Manthey team.”
Porsche managers also welcomed the victory. Project manager for the Porsche 911 GT3 R, Sebastian Golz underlined the historic importance of this first victory with a GT3 at Le Mans, saying “This is a new page that we have written together with all our colleagues in Weissach.” Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, said he was proud of the team’s performance and raised the prospect of the championship, with this win clocking up crucial points. Manthey EMA is in the lead of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 teams, on equal points with Manthey PureRxcing. Team WRT is third, two points behind.
