Manthey to bring the 'Grello' to NLS 1

Credit: Luna Maas

The famous 'Grello' Porsche 911 GT3 R will be returning to the Nordschleife in 2026, with Manthey Racing.

Although their plans for the rest of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) and Nürburgring 24h is yet to be announced, Manthey will be entering a Porsche with the famous 'Grello' livery to the first round of the NLS, NLS 1, this weekend.

The No.911 will be piloted by two of its regulars: Kévin Estre and Ayhancan Güven. Neither driver needs any introduction, Estre has won the Nürburgring 24h once in the past, and nearly repeated it with Güven last year, but a penalty was added to their finishing time which dropped the car to second.

Although Güven has not won the 24 hour race, he proved his craft last season in NLS 3, when he won the race while teamed up with Thomas Preining. More impressively, Güven is coming off the back of a highly successful DTM campaign in 2025, which saw him clinch the Championship with a dramatic overtake on the last lap.

Manthey will be sporting the recently upgraded Porsche 911 GT3 R, which has focused on improving drivability and aerodynamics. The Porsche picked up 8 wins in the NLS last season, and Manthey had a 100% podium rate in the races they competed.

The four hour race will take place on Saturday, and Qualifying will be the same morning. The official entry list is yet to be released, but Manthey will definitely be joined by one Schubert Motorsport and two Rowe Racing BMWs, as well as a single Porsche entry each from Falken Motorsport and DUNLOP.