The Bend Manthey claimed its second consecutive FIA World Endurance Championship victory at the 2026 6 Hours of Monza, but the Porsche squad fell eight points short of the LMGT3 championship. Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz drove the No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R to victory in the November 8 season finale, following their win at Barcelona.
The result made The Bend Manthey the only LMGT3 entry to win multiple races during the 2026 season. Despite five podium finishes, the trio ended the eight-round championship second with 99 points, behind TF Sport‘s No. 33 entry on 107 points.
Porsche 911 GT3 R Overcomes Penalty to Win at Monza
The six-hour race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza featured numerous caution periods, incidents and penalties that complicated the teams’ strategies. The No. 92 Porsche initially lost ground following a penalty, but a timely Virtual Safety Car period helped Manthey recover track position and take the lead.
Pera and Lietz subsequently delivered the performances needed to secure the victory, giving Manthey consecutive wins to close the season. TF Sport’s third-place finish, however, was sufficient to deny Manthey a third consecutive LMGT3 championship.
Richard Lietz Celebrates 100th WEC Race With Victory
The Monza triumph marked a career milestone for Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz, who became only the second driver to reach 100 FIA WEC starts. The Austrian celebrated the occasion with a victory alongside Shahin and Pera.
“I feel very fortunate to have reached the milestone of 100 FIA WEC races and, on top of that, to celebrate a victory today together with my team-mates and Manthey,” Lietz said.
Pera also received the fan-voted Goodyear Wingfoot Award as the outstanding LMGT3 driver of the race. The recognition came at his home event, adding to the significance of the Italian driver’s victory.
Manthey DK Engineering Finishes Fifth
Manthey’s sister No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 R, shared by James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven, finished fifth at Monza. An unsuccessful pit-stop gamble during a caution sequence cost the crew several positions after officials deployed a Virtual Safety Car rather than the anticipated Full Course Yellow.
The trio finished eighth in the LMGT3 standings with 64 points, having recorded five top-ten results and a season-best second place at Austin.
Exiting 2026 in Style
Manthey’s Monza victory completed another competitive WEC campaign following consecutive championship and Le Mans successes in the previous two seasons. Although the team missed a third straight title, the No. 92 Porsche’s two victories and five podium finishes demonstrated its competitiveness throughout 2026. The result also gave Lietz a memorable 100th WEC appearance and reinforced Manthey’s position among the championship’s leading GT3 operations.
Facts
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| Category | Key Fact |
| Event | 2026 FIA WEC 6 Hours of Monza |
| Date | November 8, 2026 |
| Circuit | Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy |
| Class | LMGT3 |
| Winning car | No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| Winning team | The Bend Manthey |
| Drivers | Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera, Richard Lietz |
| Season victories | 2 |
| Season podiums | 5 |
| Championship position | 2nd, 99 points |
| Championship winner | No. 33 TF Sport, 107 points |
| Sister car | No. 91 Manthey DK Engineering, 5th at Monza |
| No. 91 championship | 8th, 64 points |
| Special recognition | Lietz’s 100th WEC race; Pera’s Wingfoot Award |
Above contents © 2026 Manthey Racing, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee 🏁
