• Manthey EMA starts with a new Porsche 911 GT3 R in the "Grello" design 
• Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre, Frédéric Makowiecki and Thomas Preining drive the nine-eleven with the starting number 911 in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring 
• Participation in NLS 1, NLS 2, the 24-hour qualifiers and the Nürburgring 24-hour race confirmed

Meuspath. Manthey EMA competes in races on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with a Porsche 911 GT3 R of the latest generation. Porsche works drivers Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre, Frédéric Makowiecki and Thomas Preining will share the cockpit of the car with starting number 911 at the endurance classic in the "Green Hell". Prior to this, participation in the first two rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the 24-hour qualifiers is planned with different driver line-ups - all four works drivers will only compete in the 24-hour race at the same time.

With Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre and Frédéric Makowiecki, three 24-hour race winners will be at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, also known to fans as the "Grello". Frenchman Makowiecki crossed the finish line of the endurance classic in the Eifel in 2018 in the number 912 entered by Manthey. Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) recorded the seventh overall victory for the Meuspath-based racing team in 2021. This makes Manthey the most successful team at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Thomas Preining completes the driver quartet. The Austrian has already competed in NLS 8 in the yellow-green nine-eleven on the Nordschleife and in the Bathurst 12 Hours. He will also race for Manthey EMA in the 2023 DTM season.

"This year, we want to fight for our eighth overall victory in what is probably the most important single race for us. Our driver pairing is very promising and the Nordschleife is our home track. With the latest generation Porsche 911 GT3 R, we want to build on our successes with the previous model. I am also proud that we will be able to demonstrate our skills this season both on the endurance track and in the DTM sprint races - it will be an exciting year for us," explains Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

The Nordschleife season begins for Manthey EMA with the first round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series on March 18, 2023. Due to the clash of dates with the 1000-mile race at Sebring, Marco Holzer, who is supporting the drivers and teams in the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring as a consultant this year, will be supporting the NLS 1 entry. He will share the cockpit of the yellow-green nine-eleven with Thomas Preining. The driver pairing for NLS 2 and the 24-hour qualifiers will be made up of two drivers from the 24-hour race line-up and will be announced at a later date. Participation in the third round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series is not possible for the team due to the DTM pre-season test at the Red Bull Ring taking place at the same time.

Manthey and EMA Motorsport are thus further expanding their existing partnership in the DTM for the 2023 season. This year, the team will compete in both sprint races and endurance races with the new Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Australian racing team EMA Motorsport was able to gain its first Nordschleife experience last year at the eighth round of the Nürburgring endurance series with the support of Manthey.

Quotes on the 2023 Nordschleife season:

Kévin Estre, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: "Driving the "Grello" on the Nordschleife is always a special experience and I'm looking forward to competing with the team again this year - especially with the new GT3 R. Our driver pairing is strong, as it was last year, and Thomas joins us as a new, young driver. Last season, we already showed what we can do with a similarly positioned team and we have everything we need to achieve a good result this year too."

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911: "I've been watching Manthey's outings on the Nordschleife for a long time and I'm looking forward to being part of them in the new season. My hope is to be able to build on the team's good performances in recent years. And to put the new Porsche 911 GT3 R to the test on the Nordschleife. I am confident and have full trust in our driver line-up and the team. We will give it our all - the goal, as always, is to win."