Manthey debuts Asian Le Mans Series with two Porsche 911 GT3 R

Racing

Manthey will enter two Porsche 911 GT3 R in the ALMS for the first time from December
The number 10 car will be driven by Antares Au, Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler
Ryan Hardwick and Richard Lietz have been confirmed as the crew of starting number 92, with the third driver to be named at a later date
The 2024/2025 ALMS season will consist of six races in Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Meuspath. Manthey will compete in the Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) for the first time in the 2024/2025 season with two Porsche 911 GT3 R. After taking class victory at the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours and winning the 2024 LMGT3 FIA WEC Endurance Trophy, the team from Meuspath is expanding its endurance racing programme to include the Asian Le Mans Series. The number 10 Porsche 911 GT3 R will race for Manthey and be driven by Antares Au (Hong Kong), Joel Sturm (Germany) and Klaus Bachler (Austria). Ryan Hardwick (USA) and Richard Lietz (Austria) are confirmed to be at the wheel of the number 92 Manthey EMA nine-eleven, supported by a silver driver to be named in the near future.

The ALMS season will be extended to six races for the first time in 2024/2025. With 45 cars entered, including 28 in the GT3 class, the record field promises exciting 4-hour races. The season opener will take place on 7-8 December 2024 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The series will then travel to Dubai (8 and 9 February) and Abu Dhabi (15 and 16 February) for two races each in February 2025.

"I am excited that we will be competing in the ALMS. This further expands our racing programme and I believe that with our strong driver line-up we can together demonstrate our expertise in endurance racing in Asia. The competitive field promises an exciting season and we are happy to be part of it," summarises Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of Manthey Racing GmbH.

Behind the wheel of the Manthey-run number 10 nine-eleven will be Klaus Bachler, Joel Sturm and Antares Au, three experienced endurance drivers. Bachler and Sturm not only became drivers' and team champions in the LMGT3 class together with Manthey in the 2024 FIA WEC season. They also won the GT championship in the 2023/2024 ALMS season together and will therefore travel to the season opener in Sepang as reigning champions. Porsche driver Bachler previously shared the cockpit in the ALMS with Antares Au for three years. For the Hong Kong born driver, who was victorious in the 2024 Nürburgring 24 Hours and the 2024 Indianapolis 8 Hours (Pro-Am class), among others, this will be his fifth season in the Asian endurance racing championship.

With Ryan Hardwick and Richard Lietz, two-thirds of the crew of the Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R with starting number 92 are currently in place. The duo will be completed by a silver driver to be announced at a later date. Lietz and Hardwick will be celebrating their debut in the ALMS together. While Porsche works driver Lietz most recently finished the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours as LMGT3 class winner and runner-up in the 2024 FIA WEC Endurance Trophy with Manthey EMA, Hardwick is a new addition to the team. The American has already gained experience and success with Porsche: he has achieved class victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona– together with his future ALMS team-mate Lietz – and at the 12 Hours of Sebring with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. In 2023, he also won the last championship title of the LMGTE era in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with the Porsche 911 RSR.

Quotes on the 2024/2025 ALMS season:

Antares Au, Porsche 911 GT3 R #10: “It’s an exciting time to return to ALMS with Klaus, Joel and Manthey. The series has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and in these drivers and team, I believe we have the best partners to mount a title challenge. Being a Porsche enthusiast myself, racing with Manthey carries special meaning. I very much look forward to working with the great folks both sides of the pitwall and striving for success together.”

Klaus Bachler, Porsche 911 GT3 R #10: “It is a great pleasure to be back in the Asian Le Mans Series challenging for the title as the reigning champions. The series is fiercely competitive with 28 cars, top class drivers and teams all chasing the same goal: the championship title and the coveted Le Mans entry. We will do everything we can to score points at each of the six races, from the changeable weather conditions in Sepang to the tracks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which I really like. I have raced both with Antares and Joel in the series and with them and Manthey as one of the top teams behind us, we feel well prepared. Our goal is clear and we are determined to achieve it together.”

Joel Sturm, Porsche 911 GT3 R #10: “My expectation for this season is, of course, that we can build on last year's successes and finish the season in a good position in the championship. That will certainly not be easy, the Asian Le Mans Series is always very hard-fought, as we saw last year when we won the championship. But I think that we have an extremely good line-up again this season: I won both the ALMS and the WEC with Klaus, and I've known Antares for many years. I'm very happy to be able to compete with such a strong line-up. With Manthey as a strong team behind us, we have the best chance of a good result in the championship.”

Ryan Hardwick, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “I'm extremely excited and honoured to have the opportunity to join Manthey in the 2024/25 ALMS series. I have spent the vast majority of my racing career in a Porsche, finding great success in both the IMSA and winning the ELMS championship in the final year of the GTE category. I couldn't be more excited to be back racing at the highest level in our sport in a Porsche, and particularly a Manthey prepared Porsche 911 GTR R. I'm really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead, but I'm also extremely confident in our ability to succeed. I've always believed in surrounding myself with the absolute best people I can and I truly believe that the combination of Manthey, our driver line-up and Porsche is a winning combination.”

Richard Lietz, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: “It's my first time racing in the ALMS. With the new driver line-up, it's obviously important to get used to each other and compete for success in the series right from the start. There are a lot of big names in the field and it's definitely going to be exciting. After all, we are all fighting for a Le Mans entry. I'm looking forward to an exciting season with my teammates and Manthey.”

ALMS 2024/2025 race calendar:

Quotes on the 2024/2025 ALMS season:

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