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Manthey’s 2026 FIA WEC Lineup: New Names, New Partners, Same LMGT3 Ambition

The 2026 Manthey WEC Driver Lineup

Manthey will again field two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries in LMGT3, but the teams and lineups are reconfigured.

#91 “Manthey DK Engineering” – A new trio built for momentum

  • Ayhancan Güven
  • James Cottingham
  • Timur Boguslavskiy

This car is the headline “new look” of Manthey’s 2026 effort. It combines:

  • Proven WEC experience (Cottingham and Boguslavskiy both arrive with two years in the championship)
  • A high-profile WEC debut (Güven, the reigning DTM champion, steps into WEC for the first time)

Manthey’s own announcement frames Cottingham and Boguslavskiy as “LMGT3-experienced,” while emphasizing Güven’s success with Manthey in DTM and endurance racing—and his WEC debut as a key storyline.

#92 “The Bend Manthey” – Continuity, endurance IQ, and a returning ace

  • Richard Lietz
  • Riccardo Pera
  • Yasser Shahin

If the #91 is about new energy, the #92 is about continuity and polish. Lietz and Pera return from Manthey’s 2025 title-winning structure, and Shahin rejoins after a season away—something WEC’s own reporting calls out as a reunion with real upside.

In Manthey’s release, Shahin explicitly connects his return to the team’s track record and the chemistry of working with Lietz and Pera again, describing a “reunion vibe” and pride in the new The Bend Manthey identity.

How 2026 Is Different From 2025

1) The Iron Dames partnership is no longer part of Manthey’s WEC structure

In 2025, Manthey’s WEC effort included the Iron Dames #85 entry (Frey/Gatting/Martin) alongside the Manthey 1st Phorm #92 (Hardwick/Lietz/Pera). For 2026, Manthey’s two cars are instead branded:

  • Manthey DK Engineering (#91)
  • The Bend Manthey (#92)

That’s a meaningful identity shift—not just a driver shuffle.

2) Ryan Hardwick exits the WEC lineup (moves to IMSA)

In 2025, Hardwick anchored the #92 lineup as the Bronze-rated driver, paired with Lietz and Pera. (Manthey Racing) In 2026, Manthey explains Hardwick is taking the “natural step” of joining the team’s push in IMSA (“Manthey Goes America”), while the WEC Bronze role on #92 is filled by Yasser Shahin.

3) A new “performance blend” on the #91: WEC experience + WEC debut star power

The #91 trio is designed to be instantly competitive while still scalable across the season:

  • Cottingham brings proven WEC pace (WEC notes his Qatar podium in the year’s curtain-raiser with another team)
  • Boguslavskiy arrives as a championship-level endurance GT driver stepping into Manthey’s system
  • Güven adds the “new blood” factor—plus existing trust with Manthey from DTM and endurance success

Why This 2026 Lineup Makes Sense

The #91 advantage: urgency + upside

Manthey isn’t hiding the intent: the #91 is built to compete immediately, but also to grow race-by-race. Güven’s quote is practically a mission statement: assess performance early, improve round by round, and fight for the title.

Cottingham also highlights the appeal of joining “the most successful team at La Sarthe,” while framing the move as a reset after “two strong but difficult years” elsewhere—suggesting Manthey is gaining a driver hungry to convert potential into results.

The #92 advantage: proven chemistry and a smart Bronze fit

Lietz is one of the most accomplished endurance GT drivers of his era, and WEC underscores both his world championship credentials with Manthey and his record at Le Mans. Pera returns with continuity and momentum, while Shahin re-enters a system he already understands—something he calls out directly, noting he slid into the #92 “like no time had passed.”

That kind of comfort matters in WEC, where LMGT3 races are often decided by:

  • traffic management
  • tire life
  • clean pit sequences
  • avoiding penalties over 6–24 hours

The 2026 FIA WEC Schedule

Manthey’s LMGT3 campaign will span eight rounds, plus the official prologue:

  • Official Prologue (Qatar): March 22–23
  • Round 1 – Qatar 1812km: March 26–28
  • Round 2 – 6 Hours of Imola: April 17–19
  • Round 3 – 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: May 7–9
  • Round 4 – 24 Hours of Le Mans: June 10–14
  • Round 5 – 6 Hours of São Paulo: July 10–12
  • Round 6 – Lone Star Le Mans (Austin): September 4–6
  • Round 7 – 6 Hours of Fuji: September 25–27
  • Round 8 – 8 Hours of Bahrain: November 5–7 (FIA WEC)

Manthey’s own announcement mirrors this itinerary, emphasizing the season start in Qatar and the familiar rhythm of the global calendar.

Manthey’s 2026 Outlook, in Their Words

Manthey’s release frames 2026 as an extension of the momentum built in 2024–2025—“pick up with both cars where we left off” is the clearest internal message.

Driver expectations are similarly direct:

  • Güven (#91): “great chemistry,” improve race-by-race, and “fight for the title.”
  • Boguslavskiy (#91): joining Manthey as a “winning team” and aiming to match the organization’s “impressive track record.”
  • Lietz (#92): excitement to continue with a strong group, while acknowledging Hardwick’s logical shift to the U.S. market.
  • Shahin (#92): returning feels like “picking up right where we left off,” energized by the team’s winning culture and the pride of “The Bend Manthey.”

What to Watch in 2026

  1. How quickly #91 gels under pressure New trios can be fast; title-winning trios are fast and synchronized in traffic, strategy, and decision-making. The upside here is obvious—especially with Güven’s familiarity with Manthey’s environment.

  2. Whether #92 becomes the “points machine” This lineup reads like a consistency engine—exactly what you want in a championship that rewards clean execution across wildly different tracks.

  3. Le Mans as the hinge point Manthey’s identity is deeply tied to endurance excellence, and both cars will be built around peaking for the season’s biggest week at La Sarthe. (Manthey Racing)

Manthey’s 2026 WEC lineup isn’t just “new drivers in familiar cars.” It’s a strategic reshuffle: new partner banners, a recalibrated Bronze strategy, a high-profile rookie debut, and a proven core kept intact where it matters most. The message is clear: Manthey wants 2026 to look less like a title defense—and more like another title campaign waiting to happen. (FIA WEC)

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By Joe Clarke