Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing enter the 2024 FIA WEC Endurance Championship with strong driver line-ups

Together with EMA Motorsport and Pure Rxcing, Manthey will field two Porsche 911 GT3 R in the FIA WEC Endurance Championship. Richard Lietz (Austria), Morris Schuring (Netherlands) and Yasser Shahin (Australia) will steer the number 91 car entered by Manthey EMA. Manthey PureRxcing's car number 92 will be piloted by Klaus Bachler (Austria), Alex Malykhin (Great Britain) and Joel Sturm (Germany). Malykhin and Shahin are the respective bronze drivers of the trio required by the LMGT3 regulations. There are 18 cars from nine different manufacturers on the entry list for the debut season of the new GT3 class. The first race of the 2024 WEC season will be held in Qatar on March 2. The name Manthey is no stranger to the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship. From 2013 to the 2023 season, the team entered two Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class on behalf of Porsche. The Meuspath-based team took the class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in its first year of racing with Porsche (2013). Including its debut victory in 1999, Manthey has a total of four victories at the French endurance classic and has also won five World Championship titles in the WEC.

“After the years we spent together with Porsche in the FIA WEC, we are delighted to have found two strong partners in EMA Motorsport and Pure Rxcing to return to the series. Our goal is clear: we aim to build on our successes and compete for victories and the championship. With 18 cars, the new LMGT3 starting field promises thrilling races and a close championship battle. We are delighted to be part of the inaugural season of the LMGT3 in the WEC and look forward to seeing what this year has in store for us. I think our team is very well prepared and everyone is highly motivated and we hope to show that right from the start," says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

The partnership between Manthey and EMA Motorsport, which was crowned with the championship title in the 2023 DTM, will be further expanded with the entry in the FIA WEC. Last year, in addition to the two Porsche 911 GT3 R in the DTM, the team entered one car each in the 12 Hours of Bathurst, the 24 Hours of Spa, the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Porsche works driver Richard Lietz, Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup driver Morris Schuring as well as two-time GT World Challenge Australia champion Yasser Shahin will sit behind the wheel of nine-eleven with starting number 91. Austrian Lietz is an experienced WEC driver, having driven one of the cars entered by Porsche and Manthey from 2013 to 2023. One of their recent successes together was winning the GTE-Pro class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022. Porsche-experienced drivers Yasser Shahin, who claimed several successes in last year's GT World Challenge Australia season with EMA Motorsport, and Morris Schuring, the youngest race winner in the history of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, complete the cockpit line-up.

The Lithuanian Pure Rxcing team is known for its entries in the Asian Le Mans Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi in 2023. Last year, Manthey supported the team with engineers and mechanics for numerous races. With the start in the WEC under the banner of Manthey PureRxcing, the collaboration has now been extended. The driver trio of Klaus Bachler, Alex Malykhin and Joel Sturm have already competed together for the team in the 24 Hours of Spa and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. In addition to a class victory in the Sprint Cup by Alex Malykhin, they also won the overall GT World Challenge Europe Bronze Teams classification in 2023. Malykhin and Sturm were also behind the wheel for Pure Rxcing in the overall victory of the Abu Dhabi Six Hours and in the Asian Le Mans Series. Porsche contract driver Klaus Bachler has already covered many kilometres in the FIA WEC, most recently on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife as well as in the IMSA.

"It's great to be back in the WEC after a year of absence and we're looking forward to the new challenges. For example, the change from the former GTE-Pro to a Pro-AM class. At the same time, we are also very happy that we have two promising driver pairings. Our expectation is that we will compete for the championship - with both cars. But Le Mans is also very high on our agenda. We are also excited to see how the whole procedure works with regard to the Balance of Performance, because that is also a first for us. Instead, the engine power will be regulated via the driveshaft, similar to the hypercar category. This is also a very exciting topic for us," explains Patrick Arkenau, Head of Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH. The 2024 WEC season begins with the official prologue on February 24 and 25, followed by the Qatar 1812 KM race on March 2.

Quotes on the WEC-Saison 2024:

Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “I'm delighted to have the opportunity to compete in the WEC with Manthey EMA. I think GT3 racing will get an even bigger boost through the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours and it's great to be a part of it. It will certainly be exciting, but also challenging, to be successful there - but together with Manthey, with whom I have celebrated several successes in the past and know many of the team, I am looking forward to the task. We will do our best and hopefully fight for podium places and a win or two.”

Morris Schuring, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “This will be my first participation in the WEC, let alone in endurance racing. I want to learn as much as possible, but also show what I am capable of. I expect this to be an amazing season for GT racing - we have a brand-new class with nine different manufacturers, which will make for some amazing racing. Our driver line-up is unique and strong. We get on well together and have seen great potential during our testing days. I am particularly looking forward to competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in my first endurance season, it is a dream come true and to do it with Manthey is even more amazing. I am very proud and grateful to be driving for this fantastic team and would like to thank Manthey EMA for giving me this opportunity.”

Yasser Shahin, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “I'm looking forward to contesting a WEC season. I've always enjoyed the endurance format and believe it offers the greatest challenge and opportunity for a driver. To compete in it with Manthey and Porsche is truly a privilege and a race driver's dream. I've found an excellent fit with Manthey and the way they run a race team. Representing the Bend Motorsport Park and EMA Motorsport on the world stage will be fantastic. It won't be easy though - the sheer volume of driving and stints in the WEC will be physically demanding. New tracks and a new tyre add to the difficulty and challenge. But our WEC driver line-up is fantastic. We have a fabulous mix of speed and consistency. Richard is such an experienced endurance driver and Morris is coming off an outstanding season in the Carrera Cup. So I feel that our WEC driver line-up is extremely strong, we have excellent driver chemistry and everyone is looking forward to the start of the season.”

Klaus Bachler, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I'm really looking forward to the 2024 WEC season and am very proud to be driving for Manthey PureRxcing. We have a great package and a very good driver line-up. We have big goals and will give everything to have a great season. The calendar promises many exciting races, including Sao Paulo, where I was in 2014 when the WEC was last held there. But I'm particularly looking forward to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and, of course, the first race in Qatar in March.”

Alex Malykhin, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “We are expecting exciting battles for the title in the WEC season. Therefore, it is important to give our best at every race and especially at Le Mans to score as many championship points as possible. The handling of the new Goodyear tyres will also play an important role. Klaus, Joel and I are very different types of drivers, which ensures that our driver line-up is well-balanced. We proved this last year with top results for Pure Rxcing and hope to build on that this year.”

Joel Sturm, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I'm really looking forward to the upcoming WEC season. The expectations of the whole team and myself are high, we all want to win the championship. But of course, it will also be a big challenge for us as the WEC is one of the strongest endurance series in the world. But with Manthey, we have one of the best GT teams behind us, who know how to win, as they have proven in the recent past with victories at Le Mans and the DTM title. I am therefore very confident that we will deliver a strong performance this year. I am also very happy to be able to compete with Klaus Bachler and Alex Malykhin in the same driver line-up as last season. I'm particularly looking forward to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's always been a dream of mine to race there. Special thanks to Pure Rxcing and Edgar for putting their trust in me again this year.”

Edgar Kochanovskij, Company Owner, Pure Rxcing: “We put a lot of effort into 2023 - everyone from the team to the drivers - to get to this stage. Every lap counted and a lot of lessons were learnt. So, our expectations for this year's WEC season are naturally very high. The goal is clear: to give it our all every time we are on track and to win the championship. The driver line-up is a crucial part of endurance racing, so finding three such hungry, talented and hard-working drivers is a big task these days. Working with Manthey was a natural progression. We both share the same racing philosophy. That is important. And of course, I am very proud that the work of our drivers and team has not gone unnoticed. A big thank you to Manthey Racing for their trust.”