Manthey Racing: From a Nürburgring Privateer to Porsche’s GT Benchmark

The Founder: Olaf Manthey and the Vision Behind the Team

Manthey Racing was founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey, a former professional racing driver with deep experience in endurance and GT competition. Manthey understood racing not only from behind the wheel but also from the pit wall, where strategy, preparation, and consistency often determine success more than outright speed.

When Olaf Manthey established Manthey-Racing GmbH, the intent was clear from the start: build a team that prioritized preparation, data-driven decision-making, and reliability—values that aligned naturally with Porsche’s motorsport philosophy. Instead of spreading resources across multiple manufacturers or series, Manthey chose to focus narrowly and deliberately on Porsche racing platforms.

This decision would prove foundational. In an era where many teams chased short-term results across multiple categories, Manthey committed to mastering one manufacturer and one racing culture.

Early Years and Immediate Success (1996–2000)

Manthey Racing’s competitive debut came in 1996, when the newly formed team entered the Porsche Supercup, a highly competitive one-make championship that runs as a support series to Formula 1 events. The Supercup is widely regarded as a proving ground for teams and drivers alike, demanding precision engineering and operational excellence due to the parity of the cars.

The team’s breakthrough came quickly. With Dutch driver Patrick Huisman, Manthey Racing achieved a remarkable run of success in the late 1990s, winning four consecutive Porsche Supercup driver and team championships. These titles immediately elevated Manthey Racing from a newcomer to one of the most formidable Porsche teams in Europe.

These early championships did more than fill a trophy cabinet—they established Manthey’s reputation for:

• Meticulous car preparation
• Strategic clarity under pressure
• Consistency across entire seasons

At a time when many teams struggled with reliability or execution, Manthey’s cars were known for finishing races at the front.

Expansion Into Endurance Racing

Following its Supercup success, Manthey Racing expanded its ambitions toward endurance racing, where strategy, reliability, and teamwork play an even greater role. The team became deeply involved in events and series centered around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a 20.8-kilometer circuit widely considered the most demanding race track in the world.

By 1998, Manthey Racing had already achieved its first victories in the Nürburgring endurance series (then known as VLN). This period marked the beginning of a relationship that would come to define the team’s identity: Manthey Racing and the Nordschleife.

In 1999, Manthey Racing made a triumphant debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning its class with a Porsche 911 GT3-R (996 generation). For a team barely three years old, a class victory at Le Mans signaled that Manthey was no longer just a national or one-make specialist—it was now an international endurance force.

Nürburgring Focus: Building an Unfair Advantage

Manthey Racing’s decision to base operations in Meuspath, just minutes from the Nürburgring, was strategic rather than symbolic. Proximity allowed the team to test frequently, analyze conditions in real time, and develop an intuitive understanding of the Nordschleife’s ever-changing surface and weather patterns.

Over time, this focus created what many competitors quietly acknowledged as a competitive advantage. Manthey Racing didn’t just race at the Nürburgring—it lived there.

This approach paid dividends at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, where Manthey Racing would go on to achieve seven overall victories, making it the most successful team in the event’s history. These wins cemented Manthey’s reputation as the benchmark for endurance racing execution on the world’s toughest circuit.

A Singular Relationship: Manthey Racing and Porsche

Exclusivity to Porsche

Manthey Racing is, in every meaningful sense, a Porsche-exclusive organization. From its founding through to the present day, the company has focused almost entirely on Porsche racing platforms. While customer racing teams across the world may run Porsche cars, Manthey’s depth of integration places it in a different category altogether.

The exclusivity is not contractual in the traditional sense, but structural and philosophical. Manthey does not operate programs for competing manufacturers, and its engineering culture is built entirely around Porsche vehicles.

Ownership and Endorsement

In 2013, Manthey Racing entered a new phase of its existence when Porsche AG acquired a 51% majority stake in the company. This move formalized a partnership that had already been developing organically through years of racing collaboration.

With Porsche’s majority ownership came expanded responsibilities. Manthey Racing became responsible for running Porsche’s factory GT racing programs, including major international championships. This was not merely an endorsement—it was a declaration of trust.

From that point forward, Manthey Racing was no longer simply a customer team. It was an integral extension of Porsche Motorsport.

Leadership Transition and Organizational Growth

Also in 2013, Manthey Racing merged with Raeder Automotive, a move designed to ensure long-term continuity and expand engineering capabilities. Leadership responsibilities transitioned to Nicolas and Martin Raeder, while Olaf Manthey gradually stepped back from daily operations.

This transition marked a cultural shift from founder-led entrepreneurship to structured corporate governance—without losing the team’s core identity. Under the Raeder brothers, Manthey Racing expanded its workforce, engineering depth, and operational scope.

By the mid-2010s, Manthey employed hundreds of engineers, mechanics, strategists, and logistics specialists, transforming from a race team into a diversified motorsport and performance company.

Factory Success in Global Endurance Racing

Manthey Racing’s most prominent international role came through its operation of Porsche’s factory GT programs in global endurance racing. In the FIA World Endurance Championship, Manthey oversaw Porsche’s top-level GT efforts, achieving class victories and championship titles.

Among the team’s most notable achievements:

• Dominant performances at Le Mans
• Multiple world championships in GT competition
• Season-long consistency that reflected Manthey’s endurance philosophy

These successes reinforced Manthey’s standing not just as a race winner, but as a team capable of managing manufacturer-level expectations across multiple continents.

Beyond Racing: Manthey Performance Engineering

Manthey Racing’s expertise eventually extended beyond competition into road car performance engineering. Leveraging knowledge gained from endurance racing, the company developed track-focused performance kits for Porsche road cars.

These upgrades—commonly referred to as Manthey Performance Kits—are engineered in cooperation with Porsche and integrated into the manufacturer’s official ecosystem. Installed through certified Porsche centers, the kits maintain road legality and factory warranty compatibility.

This crossover between racing and road cars represents a rare convergence: motorsport-derived performance developed not by aftermarket tuners, but by a company deeply embedded within Porsche’s factory operations.

Record-Setting Achievements and Recognition

Manthey Racing’s accomplishments span decades and disciplines. Key highlights include:

• Seven overall victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (record holder)
• Multiple Porsche Supercup championships
• Class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
• World championship titles in GT endurance racing
• Engineering involvement in record-setting Nürburgring lap times for Porsche road cars

Rather than chasing individual awards, Manthey’s legacy is defined by repeat success in the most demanding environments in motorsport.

Manthey Racing Today

Today, Manthey Racing operates as a multi-disciplinary performance and motorsport organization with three primary pillars:

1. Factory GT Racing Operations
2. Customer Racing and Endurance Expertise
3. High-Performance Engineering for Porsche Road Cars

Despite its growth, Manthey remains closely tied to its origins. The Nürburgring is still central to its identity, and Porsche remains its exclusive focus.

Refinement: Why Manthey’s Origin Still Matters

Manthey Racing’s story is not one of sudden fame or opportunistic growth. It is a case study in specialization, patience, and long-term alignment. Founded in 1996 by Olaf Manthey as a Porsche-focused racing team, it grew through disciplined execution, endurance success, and an unwavering commitment to mastering one manufacturer’s philosophy.

The milestones—Supercup championships, Le Mans victories, Nürburgring dominance, Porsche ownership—are impressive, but the deeper achievement lies in continuity. Manthey Racing did not abandon its roots as it expanded; it refined them.

Today, Manthey Racing stands as one of the clearest examples of how a private racing team can evolve into a manufacturer’s most trusted partner—without losing the hunger, precision, and identity that defined it from the start.