Manthey locks in 2026 FIA WEC LMGT3 driver lineups for two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries

The 2026 driver lineups (official)

No. 91 — Manthey DK Engineering (Porsche 911 GT3 R)

Drivers (2026):

• James Cottingham (new to Manthey)
• Timur Boguslavskiy (new to Manthey)
• Ayhancan Güven (WEC debut)

Manthey’s own release describes Cottingham and Boguslavskiy as joining the team for the first time in 2026, both bringing two seasons of WEC experience, while Güven arrives as the headline addition—the reigning DTM champion, stepping into the WEC for the first time.

No. 92 — The Bend Manthey (Porsche 911 GT3 R)

Drivers (2026):

• Yasser Shahin (returning Manthey driver)
• Riccardo Pera (returning Manthey driver)
• Richard Lietz (returning Manthey driver)

This trio represents Manthey’s continuity play: the announcement positions Lietz and Pera as reigning LMGT3 champions, and the group includes two straight LMGT3 Le Mans winners at team level (2024 and 2025).

New vs. returning drivers: what changes for 2026

The new names (and why Manthey picked them)

James Cottingham (new to Manthey)
Cottingham arrives with recent WEC LMGT3 experience and is best understood as a “plug-and-play” endurance operator: consistent, methodical, and already accustomed to modern WEC qualifying formats. In prior WEC seasons, he helped deliver strong qualifying outcomes for his team, including a front-row start in Bahrain (P2) in LMGT3.

Timur Boguslavskiy (new to Manthey)
Boguslavskiy brings a resume shaped by top-level GT racing, including evidence of one-lap speed. In GT World Challenge Europe competition, he has been credited with pole-position work in race-weekend qualifying, underlining the exact trait that becomes valuable in WEC’s split qualifying/Hyperpole format.

Ayhancan Güven (WEC debut)
Güven is the “headline” move: DTM champion and a driver who has already shown he can operate in high-pressure, high-profile environments. Porsche’s own reporting on the 2025 DTM finale highlights his title-winning accomplishment, describing him as the first Turkish DTM champion.
He also has pole position credentials from earlier in his career, including Porsche Supercup qualifying success where he secured pole at Silverstone in 2020.

In Manthey’s framing, the No. 91 lineup is built to be instantly competitive without needing a long ramp-up—two WEC-experienced additions plus a star driver stepping into endurance’s most technical championship.

The returning core (and why Manthey kept it intact)

Richard Lietz + Riccardo Pera (returning champions)
The No. 92 lineup is a bet on known chemistry. Lietz and Pera are framed in the WEC announcement cycle as reigning LMGT3 champions, and they arrive with proof of “big-race execution.”

Yasser Shahin (returning Manthey driver)
Shahin’s return matters for stability and continuity—Manthey’s official communication points to his previous success with the team, including a strong 2024 season context.

Trophies and major results: what this lineup is defending

Manthey’s 2026 WEC story is inseparable from what it has just accomplished. In the official team messaging around the 2026 crews, Manthey references being a back-to-back LMGT3 Endurance Trophy winner and back-to-back LMGT3 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2024 and 2025)—a rare level of momentum for any WEC GT team.

The 2025 Le Mans LMGT3 win, in particular, serves as a calling card for the No. 92 lineage. The race report from Le Mans notes the Manthey-entered No. 92 Porsche won LMGT3 again, describing it as the team’s second consecutive class victory.

Put simply: Manthey isn’t entering 2026 as a “team with potential.” It enters as the reference point others are chasing.

Pole positions: what these drivers bring in qualifying performance

WEC’s modern LMGT3 qualifying structure makes one-lap performance and calm under pressure more valuable than ever. Manthey’s 2026 roster includes drivers with demonstrable “single-lap” signals:

• James Cottingham has been part of LMGT3 qualifying performances that produced a front-row start in Bahrain (P2) in prior WEC campaigning.
• Timur Boguslavskiy has led GT grids from pole in GT World Challenge Europe contexts, an indicator of outright qualifying capability.
• Ayhancan Güven has a documented Porsche Supercup pole position achievement, reinforcing that he’s not only a race-winner, but also a driver who can “hit” a qualifying lap when it counts.

While Manthey’s endurance hallmark is long-run execution, these qualifying indicators matter because track position can reduce risk in LMGT3’s heavy traffic and tight margins.

What “two cars” means strategically in 2026

With two entries, Manthey can pursue a dual objective:

1. Defend the crown with a proven combination (No. 92), and
2. Expand its competitive ceiling with a new trio built for pace and adaptability (No. 91).

This structure also helps across a season-long calendar: different circuits reward different strengths—some lean toward qualifying position and clean air, others lean toward tire life and mistake-free endurance rhythm. Manthey’s 2026 lineups look designed to cover both.

The Takeaway

Manthey’s finalized 2026 driver roster is both a continuity statement and a reloading move. The No. 92 crew carries forward a championship-winning backbone, while the No. 91 crew introduces fresh WEC-experienced talent and a high-profile new star making his series debut.

If Manthey is serious about a “title hat-trick,” these lineups show the blueprint: defend with what already works, and attack with a second car built to win on merit—lap one through hour eight.