Manthey EMA to field a Porsche sporting Grello Design in the 24h Nürburgring 2024 with a strong driver line-up

Manthey EMA will field a Grello Porsche in the 2024 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. Porsche drivers Kévin Estre (France), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium), Thomas Preining (Austria) and Ayhancan Güven (Turkey) will pilot the car with starting number 911. After two retirements in the last two years, Manthey is aiming for its eighth overall victory at the endurance classic in the Eifel region. Prior to that, the team will contest the first two rounds of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) and the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers with different driver line-ups.

With Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, two experienced and victorious Nordschleife drivers will be at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Estre has been an integral part of the Manthey entries on the Nordschleife since 2016. In 2021, he clinched the team's seventh overall victory at the Green Hell. The Frenchman has been part of the Porsche works driver line-up in the FIA WEC Hypercar class since 2023. Laurens Vanthoor also drives a Porsche 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Belgian celebrated his most recent race success with Manthey EMA at the Bathurst 12 Hour in early February.

Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven complete the driver quartet. Both drivers will also compete for Manthey EMA in the 2024 DTM season. Preining, who won the DTM Team and Drivers' Championships with Manthey EMA in 2023, also already piloted the Grello on the Nordschleife last year. Güven celebrated a successful debut with Manthey EMA at the Bathurst 12 Hour in February this year, taking victory in his first endurance race with the team.

"The 24 Hour race on the Nordschleife is always a very special event on the calendar for us. The Grello is an icon here and we are very grateful for the great support we receive from the many fans every year. We are starting with a strong driver line-up and I hope that we can fight for the overall victory after the retirements of the last two years. This year, what is probably the world's toughest endurance race is part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge - we have already proven ourselves at Bathurst, the season opener of the series, and we want to extend that lead. Our race calendar is busier than ever this season, but our crew and drivers are well prepared and I am confident about our home race," says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

Manthey EMA’s season on the Nordschleife will begin with the first round of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie on the first weekend in April. The driver pairings for the NLS races and the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers will be announced at a later date.

For Manthey and EMA Motorsport, this is not only the second time they will contest the endurance classic in the Eifel together. It is also the second season in which the team will start in both DTM sprint races and endurance races with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The victory in the Bathurst 12 Hour marked a successful start to the endurance racing season. With seven FIA WEC races and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring still to come, there are more endurance highlights to follow for the team.

Kévin Estre : "I'm really happy to be driving in the Grello on the Nordschleife again. It's my favorite race and I've had a lot of good memories with Manthey. We ́re starting with a new line-up this year. I know Thomas and Laurens well, but I'll be sharing the cockpit with Ayhancan for the first time. He has just shown his potential in Bathurst. I'm looking forward to attacking with the team to win the race once again."

Laurens Vanthoor : "It's mega cool to be back in the Grello at the Nürburgring. I think this is the car that every Porsche driver wants to pilot and after our success in Bathurst, it's great for me to continue this. I've been driving with Kévin for many years and together with Ayhancan and Thomas we have a really good driver line-up. I'm really looking forward to the race."

Thomas Preining : "I'm really looking forward to the 24-Hour race. The team and I personally have a score to settle after last year's race, so the desire to succeed is strong. The goal is to win the race. I'm very confident because the driver line-up is strong. However, what counts first and foremost is a solid preparation through test and race kilometers on the Nordschleife. Then anything should be possible."

Ayhancan Güven : "Grello and Nordschleife are a magical combination. I'm excited to join Manthey EMA for this year's 24h Nürburgring. This program set its clear goal coming to the big race in June. We will work hard to add another success to the team's history and give the Grello fans the next victory."

Patrick Arkenau, Division Manager Racing of the Manthey Racing GmbH : "We are looking forward to competing on the Nordschleife again in 2024 with a strong driver line-up and the support of our long- standing partners. It is particularly nice to have our DTM drivers Thomas and Ayhancan in the cockpit. In addition, Kévin and Laurens are two experienced Nordschleife drivers with whom we have already celebrated great successes in the Eifel. Our goal is of course to finish the race and fight for victory."