Manthey EMA to compete with the Grello in the 24h Nürburgring 2025

In 2025, Manthey EMA will once again contest the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Kévin Estre (France), Ayhancan Güven (Turkey) and Thomas Preining (Austria) will be at the wheel of the car with starting number 911.

Manthey EMA finished the 2024 race in second place after completing 50 laps and an early race cancellation due to the bad weather. The goal for this year is an eighth overall victory in the endurance classic in the Eifel. Before that, the team will take part in the first three races of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) and the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers with different driver line-ups.

Estre, Güven and Preining already shared the cockpit of the Grello Porsche at the last 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Frenchman Estre has been a permanent part of the Manthey line-up in the ‘Green Hell’ since 2016 and took the team's seventh overall victory in the legendary endurance race in 2021.

He has been driving for Porsche in the Hypercar class of the FIA WEC for two years, claiming the championship title in the series last year. As in the previous year, Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven will also line up as team-mates for Manthey EMA in the 2025 DTM season. For Preining, who won the team and drivers' championships in the DTM together with Manthey EMA in 2023, it will be

the third consecutive year for the team in the 24-hour race in the Eifel. But Güven is no stranger to the Nordschleife either: In 2024, he finished on the podium with Manthey EMA in each of his four outings, both in the 24-hour race and the NLS. He also celebrated overall victory with the team at the Bathurst 12 Hour at the beginning of last year.

“After second place in the shortened race last year, we obviously still have a score to settle at this year's 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. For us, this home race is always a very special highlight in the season calendar, and we are looking forward to competing again this year with the large fan base here in the Eifel and our strong partners supporting us,” says Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH.

“With Ayhancan, Kévin and Thomas, we have a first-class driver trio at the wheel of our #911. The three of them have already proven themselves on the Nordschleife – not only in 2024 – and we are delighted that they are also part of our driver squad for the legendary endurance race this year. Now we focus on starting the season with full concentration with NLS1 and prepare as best as we can for the battle for overall victory in June,” adds Patrick Arkenau, Division Manager Racing at the Manthey Racing GmbH.

Manthey EMA will kick off the 2025 Nordschleife season with the first round of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie on 22 March. Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven will drive the nine-eleven in this first four-hour race. The driver pairings for the other NLS races and the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers will be announced at a later date. The 24 Hours of the Nürburgring will take place from 19

to 22 June.

For Manthey and EMA Motorsport, this year marks not only their third joint appearance in the 24-hour race in the Eifel, but also the third season in which the team will be competing with the Porsche 911 GT3 R in both endurance and sprint races. The success of the partnership is reflected in an outstanding track record: In the past two years, the team has won a DTM championship title, the Bathurst 12 Hour and, last but not least, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This year, the team can once again count on the support of strong partners for its home races. The long-standing partners KÜS, MOTUL, Tricorp, Veltins, KW, ENDLESS, CONTROL, RIEDEL Communications, Paddocklegends, RECARO and Scherer will make a significant contribution to the successful realisation of the races in the Eifel in 2025. For the first time in 2025, Manthey will also be supported by Red Bull.

Quotes on the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring:

Kévin Estre, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “It's great to be back in the Grello for the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. This race is very important to me and it means a lot to me to contest it in the Grello. I hope that we can finish even better in 2025 than we did last year. Second place was good, but winning is obviously better. It's been four years since our last victory, and I hope that we can win again this year at the Nürburgring together with Thomas and Ayhancan.”

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “I'm thrilled to be competing in the Grello in the 24-hour race for the third time in a row. It's an honour to drive this car, which is such a fan favourite. We are working hard to prepare ourselves in the best possible way and to create the best conditions for the race. The Nordschleife is always a special challenge, especially mentally. It's a demanding race and for me it's one of the highlights of the season. Especially this year with the new team partner Red Bull, which gives us additional motivation to deliver the best possible result.”

Ayhancan Güven, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: “I’m really happy to be back at the Nordschleife with Manthey EMA for another year. Last year, we had a great preparation and finished second in the shortened race. We were definitely competitive, and this year, we’ll aim to be just as prepared – if not more – as we head into the 24-hour race. Once again, I’m excited to share the car with Kévin and

Thomas. Last year, we had a great team atmosphere, and we’ll work together to maintain that as we focus on our main goal. It’s also special to see Red Bull and Manthey EMA joining forces for this event. I’ve been a Red Bull athlete for quite some time, and I’m excited to have them on board!”