Manthey EMA previews Nürburgring-Nordschleife season 2023

Manthey EMA will compete on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with a latest-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R. Porsche works drivers Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre, Frédéric Makowiecki, and Thomas Preining will share the cockpit of the car with the starting number 911 for the endurance marathon in the "Green Hell". Prior to that, the team will contest the first two rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series as well as the 24-hour qualifiers with different driver line-ups - all four drivers will only race simultaneously in the 24-hour race.

With Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre, and Frédéric Makowiecki, three 24-hour race champions will be at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R popularly known as "Grello". The Frenchman Makowiecki was the first to cross the finish line of the endurance classic in the Eifel in the No. 912 car entered by Manthey in 2018. Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) claimed the seventh overall victory for the Meuspath-based team in 2021. This makes Manthey the most successful team at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. Thomas Preining completes the driver quartet. The Austrian has already competed in the Grello Porsche at last year’s NLS 8 and in the Bathurst 12 Hour. He will also drive for Manthey EMA in the 2023 DTM season.

"We want to fight for our eighth overall victory this year in what is probably the most important individual race for us. Our driver line-up is promising and the Nordschleife is our 'home track'. With the latest generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, we want to build on our successes with the previous model. In addition, I am proud that we will be able to prove our skills in both endurance racing and the sprint races of the DTM this season - it will be an exciting year for us," says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

Manthey EMA's season on the Nordschleife will begin with the first round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series on 18 March. Due to the scheduling conflict with the 1000 Miles of Sebring, Marco Holzer, who is supporting the drivers and teams in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring as an advisor this year, will support the entry. He will share the cockpit of the 911 with Thomas Preining for NLS 1. The driver pairing for NLS 2 and the 24-hour qualifiers will be made up of two drivers from the 24-hour line-up and will be announced at a later date. Participation in the third round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series is not possible for the team due to the DTM pre-season test taking place at the Red Bull Ring at the same time.

Manthey and EMA Motorsport are thus further expanding their existing partnership within the DTM for the 2023 season. The team will compete in both sprint and endurance races with the new Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Australian team EMA Motorsport gained its first experience on the Nordschleife last year at the eighth run of the Nürburgring Endurance Series backed by Manthey.

Driver quotes on the 2023 Nordschleife season:

Kévin Estre, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: "Driving the 'Grello' on the Nordschleife is always a special experience and I'm looking forward to competing with the team again this year - especially with the new GT3 R. Our driver line-up is as strong as it was last year, and Thomas joins us as a new, young driver. Last season we already showed what we are capable of with a similar set-up and this year we have everything we need to bring in a good result.”

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: "I've been following Manthey's efforts on the Nordschleife for a long time and I'm excited to be part of the team for the new season. I hope to build on the good results the team has achieved in recent years. And to be able to put the new Porsche 911 GT3 R to the test on the Nordschleife. I am confident and have full faith in our driver squad and the team. We will give everything - the goal, as always, is victory.”