Article

Manthey Racing: Origins, Legacy & Present

Nov 19, 2025

Early Days & Founding

Manthey Racing (often just “Manthey”) traces its roots to the vision of Olaf Manthey, a German racer and engineer, who in 1996 formally founded Manthey-Racing GmbH. Prior to that, Olaf had worked in motorsport (including a stint as technical director at Persson Motorsport in DTM) and had begun tuning and working on race cars.

The name “Manthey” quickly became synonymous with Porsche-based GT competition. In 1996, the new team entered the Porsche Supercup and finished a respectable 4th in their debut season. From 1997 to 2000, Manthey dominated the Supercup, clinching four consecutive championships with driver Patrick Huisman behind the wheel of their 911 Cup cars.

By 1998 the team was also running in the VLN/Nürburgring endurance series (later the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, NLS). Their local foothold in the “Green Hell” of the Nürburgring is central to their identity.

In 1999, Manthey made their debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, entering a Porsche 996 GT3-R in the GT class—and immediately won class honours. That early success helped align Manthey more closely with Porsche itself as a customer / partner team.

Through the 2000s, the team expanded, relocated to Meuspath near the Nürburgring in 2000, and gradually grew into a major operation with multiple business arms (racing, performance, engineering, services). In 2013, Porsche AG acquired a 51 % stake in Manthey, effectively bringing it into the Porsche motorsport fold while preserving its operational identity.

Why Manthey Matters & Their Strengths

Manthey is not just another customer team. Over the years, they have become something of a de facto works-level partner for Porsche in GT racing, especially in endurance contexts. Here’s what sets them apart:

Deep Nürburgring expertise: The Nordschleife is their home track. Their deep experience there—running in VLN/NLS events, and accumulating dozens of wins—is an advantage few teams can match.
Engineering & development integration: Because Manthey also handles motorsport engineering, parts, and road car performance kits (the “Manthey Kits”), they can feed track learnings back into their operations.
Strong Porsche alignment and support: With Porsche as majority shareholder since 2013, Manthey often acts as an official or semi-official GT arm in major championships.
Proven pedigree in endurance and GT racing: Multiple victories at iconic events (e.g. Nürburgring 24 Hours, Le Mans class wins) make them fearsome rivals.
Adaptability to regulations and series: As GT classes evolve (GTE, GT3, LMGT3, etc.), Manthey has shown it can pivot, align with partners, and compete at the front. For example, Manthey is currently entering in GT3 classes in WEC, expanding into Asian Le Mans, etc.

Present Day Campaigns & Series (2024–2025 and beyond)

Manthey is active in several global and regional endurance/GT racing programs as of 2024–2025. Here are some of the key ones:

FIA WEC – LMGT3 (World Endurance Championship)

In 2024, Manthey joined the FIA WEC with two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries under Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing.
Their #92 car (Manthey 1st Phorm) recently secured a class win at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class.
The #92 car’s victory adds to Manthey’s rich Le Mans GT class legacy.
Manthey also fields #85 in partnership with the Iron Dames as an all-female driver entry at Le Mans.

Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS)

For the 2024/2025 season, Manthey is debuting in ALMS with two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries.
Car #10 is driven by Antares Au, Joel Sturm, Klaus Bachler; Car #92 by Ryan Hardwick and Richard Lietz (plus a yet-to-be-announced third driver).
The ALMS schedule spans Sepang, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi for 2024/25, with six races total.

Nürburgring / NLS / 24h Nürburgring

Manthey remains deeply involved in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. They hold the record for the most wins in individual NLS races (over 50).
In 2024, their Manthey EMA squad will enter a Grello livery Porsche 911 GT3 R in the 24h Nürburgring, with top drivers such as Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Thomas Preining, Ayhancan Güven.
Manthey often uses its Nürburgring base as both a development ground and home track.

Other Appearances & Customer Programs

Manthey also supports Porsche one-make or customer GT racing in various series (e.g. Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring) and offers engineering support to paying teams.
Occasionally they run special liveries: e.g. at Le Mans 2025, Manthey fielded a third 911 GT3 R with a livery promoting the Hollywood film F1^® The Movie.

The Machines: What They Race & Why They’re Formidable

Porsche 911 GT3 R (Current GT3 Weapon)

In recent years, Manthey competes largely with the Porsche 911 GT3 R (current GT3 spec), which is derived from the road-going Carrera / GT3 models but extensively adapted for endurance racing (aerodynamics, weight, cooling, safety, endurance reliability).
The GT3 R benefits from Manthey’s deep knowledge of Porsche engineering, leveraging their performance kit and development expertise for optimal setups.

Past Machines & Technological Highlights

Over its history, Manthey has campaigned 911 RSRs, GT3-Rs, GT2s, and even hybrid test cars (e.g. 997 GT3 R Hybrid in Nürburgring 24h)
Their engineering arm also produces Manthey Kits and performance parts for road-going Porsches (e.g. for the 911 GT3, GT3 RS, Cayman, etc.).
Because they integrate development, racing, tuning, and performance parts, they can fine-tune aerodynamics, cooling, suspension, and reliability elements that make their race cars more competitive over long stints.

Why Manthey Is a Force to Be Reckoned With

Putting it all together, here’s why drivers and rival teams fear seeing Manthey’s name on the entry lists:

Institutional Experience & Legacy Decades of competition, especially at the Nürburgring and Le Mans, give Manthey a deep repository of data, know-how, and racecraft.
Close Porsche Partnership As a majority-Porsche backed entity, they frequently get access to factory support, driver resources, and strategic alignment in GT programs.
Technical & Engineering Synergy Their dual role as racer + tuner + development workshop means that lessons from the track flow back into engineering decisions quickly—less lag between theory and implementation.
Endurance Prowess They shine in long, grueling races — 24-hour events, multi-class traffic, reliability demands — and this is where many others fall short.
Driver Roster & Consistency Manthey attracts top GT drivers and retains continuity in its lineups. The team’s structures, pit strategy, and consistent performance make them tough to beat over race distance.
Adaptability & Strategic Vision Whether GT categories change, global series shift, or regulations evolve, Manthey has historically been able to pivot and remain competitive, entering new series like ALMS, adjusting to LMGT3 in WEC, etc.

Challenges & Outlook

No team is without hurdles. Some of the challenges Manthey must navigate:

Regulation shifts & Balance of Performance (BoP) GT racing often changes technical rules or balancing parameters; small margins can make or break a season.
Competition from factory-backed squads As other manufacturers step up with bigger budgets or more factory control, Manthey must stay sharp to counter them.
Endurance attrition & reliability Especially in 24h races, even minor failures can ruin a result. The demands on brakes, cooling, parts, and pit reliability are immense.
Scaling globally With entries now in ALMS, WEC, etc., logistics, coordination, and resource allocation become more complex.

Still, the outlook is bright. With Manthey already winning the 2025 Le Mans LMGT3 class, pushing further into global programs, and expanding their endurance footprint, they look poised to continue as one of Porsche’s most potent racing arms.

The Green Flag

From humble beginnings in the mid-1990s to becoming Porsche’s trusted GT weapon in global endurance racing, Manthey Racing has carved a special niche in motorsport. Their combination of engineering depth, endurance mastery, integration with Porsche, and years of track victories make them a benchmark in GT racing. As they expand into new series and continue to chase victories at Le Mans, Nürburgring, and beyond, any team that sees a Manthey Porsche on the grid knows it’s in for a fight.