Manthey's "perfect strategy" secured the LMGT3 titles in Bahrain — Hardwick

The No.92 Manthey Racing drivers celebrating their LMGT3 championship titles | Credit: Porsche Newsroom

The No.92 Manthey Racing fought their way from the bottom of the field to finish fourth during the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) finale, the 8 Hours of Bahrain. A perfect strategy allowed them to successfully defend their LMGT3 titles.

Coming into Bahrain, Manthey held a strong points advantage over their LMGT3 rivals, but the Porsche team has yet to finish on the podium after their Le Mans triumph, allowing their competitors to catch up in the second half of the season.

The German team qualified 17th during qualifying, unable to advance to Hyperpole. They locked out the back row with fellow Porsche entrant, the No.85 Iron Dames car. Starting from the back of the field made it challenging for them to secure the title safely in Bahrain.

There was plenty to play for in an eight-hour race, and Manthey made sure they would come home with the titles. The trio of Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz bravely fought their way through the field.

After two hours and 15 minutes of racing, Hardwick sat in seventh before he passed Ben Keating in the No.33 TF Sport Corvette for sixth, earning another crucial position for the blue Porsche.

Manthey played their cards right with the two safety cars that were deployed: one in the middle stages and another late in the race. The No.92 911 GT3 R sat in fourth during the final restart and crossed the line in the same position to secure both championships.

The 2025 LMGT3 Teams' and Drivers' championships belong to the No.92 car. They had a 14-point lead over their nearest rivals, the No.21 AF Corse Ferrari, which finished the race fifth.

Credit: Porsche Newsroom

Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at Manthey Racing GmbH, said: "It was an intense race for us.

"After qualifying, we were in a difficult position, but we expected to have a better chance over the race's longer distance, which fortunately proved to be the case early on.

"Ryan made up a lot of ground in his triple stint, and Riccardo and Richard continued this performance seamlessly. The late VSC phase in the final hour made things exciting again because we knew this was our weakness. Without this, we would probably have made it onto the podium.

"Overall, thanks to the right strategy, excellent performances from all the drivers, and flawless work from our crew, we finished fourth and secured the championship."

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH, claimed it was surreal to secure the WEC titles, winning Le Mans and various series.

"Winning the World Championship and Le Mans for the second consecutive time, as well as all three DTM titles and the double championship in the 2024–25 Asian Le Mans Series, it all feels very surreal.

"Our mission statement, 'Closer to Perfection', best describes what has happened here: a great deal of effort has gone into this result. It shows how close we are to the limits, how meticulously everything is planned and how well it all comes together when it matters.

"This is a very impressive achievement and a reward for everyone's hard work here. Thank you to all the team members, drivers and partners who made this success, and the entire 2025 season, possible."

Hardwick was unable to explain how he felt after he became a champion. The American driver felt proud to be a member of Manthey and said this championship was a dream come true.

"It’s hard to put into words what winning the FIA World Endurance Championship means to me and my family.

"Starting from the very back, we faced one of our toughest challenges of all season. However, thanks to our crew's hard work in completely transforming the car, our perfect strategy and the incredible efforts of the entire Manthey team, we fought our way through the field to secure a top 5 finish and the title.

"I’m tremendously proud to be part of Manthey, who I believe are the best team in endurance racing, and to share this achievement with my co-drivers, Richard and Riccardo. This victory is a dream come true for all of us, for the team, our families, and everyone who has supported us along the way. Thank you so much."

Credit: Porsche Newsroom

Lietz was particularly happy for his co-drivers. The Austrian credited the team's lack of mistakes and strong performance played a big role in the team's 2025 glory.

"An incredible year and an outstanding performance by Manthey.

"I’m especially happy for Ryan and Riccardo; they truly deserved this title. We made fewer mistakes than the others, delivered great races, won the highlight at Le Mans, and can be very satisfied with our performance this year.

"Securing my second championship, 10 years after my first, makes it even more special."

Pera was full of praise for his co-drivers and the team. The Italian admitted he needed time to process what the team had achieved in the next couple of days.

"I’m so happy, it’s a feeling I can’t describe.

"Winning Le Mans and the World Championship, both for the first time, is truly special. I want to thank Manthey for an amazing car and a flawless strategy, which allowed us to stay ahead of the No.21 Ferrari and secure the title.

"Ryan and Richie have been incredible all year, and I’ll probably only fully realise what we’ve achieved in the next few days."

Manthey and Richard Lietz will return to action in December with the season opener of the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang, Malaysia.