Lusail. The two Porsche 911 GT3 R entered by Manthey finished the first race of the FIA WEC Endurance Championship in first and fifteenth place in the LMGT3 class. After ten hours, Klaus Bachler crossed the finish line in the number 92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche as the winner of the new GT class. Richard Lietz saw the chequered flag in fifteenth place in the number 91 Manthey EMA car. Technical problems in the middle of the race prevented a better result in the debut of the LMGT3 in the FIA WEC.

On Saturday morning at 11:00 local time, Alex Malykhin (#92) and Yasser Shahin (#91) started the ten-hour race at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar from positions two and thirteen. The two Bronze drivers put in a strong performance right from the start, with Malykhin taking the lead in the newly introduced LMGT3 class after just 15 minutes, while Shahin steadily worked his way up the field. After around two hours and the first driver change, the number 91 car with Morris Schuring at the wheel returned to the track in second place, which meant a double lead in the GT class for Manthey.

Bachler, Malykhin and Sturm had to relinquish the lead midway through the race, but kept the 92 car within striking distance at all times. Thanks to a flawless performance by the driver trio and the pit crew, the Manthey PureRxcing Porsche regained the lead three and a half hours before the end of the race and held on until the chequered flag. After 299 race laps, final driver Klaus Bachler crossed the line first in the LMGT3 class.

Just before the halfway point of the Qatar 1812 KM race, the Manthey EMA Porsche was forced to pit due to problems with the electric throttle control. After the repair, Shahin returned to the track in eighteenth place, 13 laps down. However, Lietz, Schuring and Shahin showed good pace throughout the race, even without a podium chance. After another unscheduled pit stop due to the same problem and 284 laps completed, Richard Lietz crossed the finish line in fifteenth place.

"The first race in the GT class of the WEC was once again a special challenge for us. It feels almost unbelievable that we were able to continue our winning streak here after the DTM and the Bathurst 12 Hours. I am very proud of the entire team and our drivers. In such a strong field, our bronze drivers in particular put in an impressive performance. Unfortunately, we were unlucky with the 91, without the technical problems we would have had a good chance of a podium finish here too. But I think we showed with both cars that we are a force to be reckoned with," explains Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

Quotes on the Qatar 1812 KM race:

Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: 
"The race result was not ideal for us. But you have to look at the overall package and consider the whole week, including the Prologue. Working with Yasser, Morris and the whole team was a lot of fun. We are taking a lot from our time here and I am very confident for the next races. This race we simply had technical problems, but we have to put that behind us and move on."

Morris Schuring, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: 
"Our start went really well and Yasser did a great first stint. Then I got into the car in P4 and was able to move up to P2, so we were in the double lead. Unfortunately, we then had a technical problem that cost us 13 laps. That was the end of the race for us, otherwise a podium finish would have been possible. Nevertheless, I'm very happy for the 92 crew that they won the race."

Yasser Shahin, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: 
"We had a fantastic start to the race and were in P2 after four hours despite starting from the back of the field. I really enjoyed my time at the wheel today. Unfortunately, an electrical problem forced us to pit, which cost us 25 minutes. Nevertheless, we learned a lot today and I'm looking forward to the next race at Imola."

Klaus Bachler, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: 
"An incredible result - our first WEC race together. It's also the first time I've won the season's first race in a championship. I'm very proud of the whole team, my colleagues and our whole package. We put so much energy into it, we were well prepared and we didn't make any mistakes in the race - the engineering, the car, everything was just right. But after this victory, we still have seven races to go, including the season highlight at the Le Mans 24 Hours, so there is a long way to go. But for now, we're enjoying the victory and are happy about the great result."

Alex Malykhin, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: 
"We did a good job from the very first lap. In the end, Klaus put together everything we needed for this win and Joel also did a great job with his double stints. I'm happy that we were able to start the season with so many points - it was very important for me and it boosted everyone's confidence for the rest of the races.”

Joel Sturm, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: 
"A great race for us. To win the first race of the season and our debut in the WEC is a great feeling. It was a hard fought victory - the team, my driver colleagues and everyone involved did a fantastic job. The grid is very strong, but we got the first win in the LMGT3 class and that's what counts."
 

Results Qatar 1812 KM Race:

LMGT3 Class

• 1. Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm (AT/GB/DE), Manthey PureRxcing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92
• 15. Lietz/Schuring/Shahin (AT/NL/AU), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91
   

WEC race calendar 2024:

• 24. - 25.02.2024 Qatar Official Prologue | Qatar
• 02.03.2024 Qatar 1812 KM | Qatar
• 21.04.2024 6 Hours of Imola | Italy
• 11.05.2024 TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps | Belgium
• 15. - 16.06.2024 24 Hours of Le Mans | France
• 14.07.2024 6 Hours of Sao Paulo | Brasil
• 01.09.2024 Lone Star Le Mans (COTA) | USA
• 15.09.2024 6 Hours of Fuji | Japan
• 02.11.2024 8 Hours of Bahrain | Bahrain