Following the victory in Barcelona, The Bend Manthey also claimed victory in the final FIA World Endurance Championship race of the season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The sister car of Manthey DK Engineering, driven by James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven, completed the 6 Hours of Monza in fifth place.

Aston Martin Vantage #23 ends second while Championship winning Corvette #33 completed the podium and BMW M4 LMGT2 ends fourth.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. LMGT3 at Variante del Rettifilo

Second consecutive win for The Bend Manthey

With a second consecutive win, The Bend Manthey remained the only LMGT3 entry to win more than one race during the 2026 FIA WEC season.

"The race was shaped by numerous yellow flag periods, penalties and incidents, but we kept a cool head throughout. After the No. 92 was initially set back by a penalty, a well-timed Virtual Safety Car period worked in our favour. That allowed us to capitalise on our strategic strengths and take the lead of the race. Strong performances from Riccardo and Richard ultimately secured our second consecutive FIA WEC victory.”, Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 LMGT3 R #92

Over the course of the year, Yasser Shahin (Australia), Riccardo Pera (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria) secured a total of five podium finishes. Despite this success, the trio narrowly missed out on the LMGT3 Teams' Endurance Trophy.

The #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R finishes the season second in the championship standings with 99 points, just eight points behind champions TF Sport (#33). The victory in Monza carried additional significance for Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz. The Austrian contested the 100th race of his FIA World Endurance Championship career, becoming only the second driver in the history of the series to reach this milestone. His team-mate Riccardo Pera was also honoured at his home event with the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, presented by FIA WEC fans to the outstanding LMGT3 driver of the race.

Yasser Shahin, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "It's not over until it's over - and today's race proved that once again. We gave absolutely everything and showed what we're capable of. Winning two races this season as the only team in the championship is something I'm incredibly proud of. I'm very grateful to my team-mates and the entire crew. Of course, we would have loved to win the championship, but at the end of the day we can't blame ourselves for anything. We did our job and gave it everything we had. This result simply wouldn't have been possible without the relentless effort and commitment of every single person in the team. A huge thank you to all of them."

Riccardo Pera, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "It's incredible to take another victory just one race after our win in Barcelona. Winning here in Monza, at my home race, makes this success even more special. On top of that, being awarded the Goodyear Wingfoot Award is something I'm extremely proud of, especially with my family and friends watching from the grandstands. A huge thank you goes to Yasser and Richie for an amazing season together. Once again, it has been a fantastic year racing alongside them and being part of the Manthey family. This victory is a perfect way to end the season and one I'll remember for a long time."

Richard Lietz, The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R #92: "To be honest, the race and especially the final minutes were extremely tough, and the pressure was probably a little higher than I would have liked. The level of competition in the FIA World Endurance Championship is simply incredibly high. 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. I truly love being part of this team and greatly value the opportunity to race alongside Riccardo and Yasser. Of course, we would have liked to win the championship, but looking back, we had a really strong season and enjoyed every step of the journey together. That's something nobody can take away from us." Source: Manthey Racing

P2 for Aston Martin Vantage #23

The Heart of Racing Team [THOR] drivers Gray Newell, Dudu Barrichello and Jonny Adam stormed through in an incident-packed race, after being hit by a rival in the first hour and dropping to the back of the field. They then fought their way past a highly competitive field to secure second place, even narrowly missing out on a famous maiden victory for the crew in a tense final hour’s racing.

Newell made a strong start in Vantage, Aston Martin’s most focused sportscar built around the proven bonded aluminium chassis, and powered by its fearsome twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. But he was punted off by a rival 40 minutes into the race. Recovering from last he began the recovery drive, handing over to Barrichello in ninth position. The Brazilian then unleashed the first half of an extraordinary stint by racing through the field to third before pitting. Adam then maintained the #23 Vantage’s position in the top four as the chaotic race moved from one Full Course Yellow period to the next.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. The Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage #23

Barrichello, who set the fastest time in qualifying only to be denied by a track limits penalty on Saturday, then set about chasing down the leaders. First, he dispatched the second-placed BMW after a ferocious battle. Then he gave chase to the leading Porsche, closing them down with ease, while also keeping one eye on his critical fuel levels. Following his final energy stop, Barrichello ultimately emerged pursuing the Porsche for the victory, and this chase went right to the flag as he ran in his rival’s slipstream through the last two laps.

The result means the #23 THOR team ended the season fifth in the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGT3 Teams, while Newell and Adam finished seventh in the Drivers’ points, underlining a superb debut season for the American rookie, who claimed three podiums, including third place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It was a positive day for the team, and everybody did a very good job,” said Barrichello. “I tried my best and the car was super-fast. I wish we could have got the win to close off the year, but this isn’t a bad way to end it! I am so happy with this team, and Aston Martin, and the Heart of Racing has given me such a golden opportunity, hopefully I did enough to make the team proud.”

Newell added: “It’s gratifying to feel like I’m progressing. We’ve had some really good results. Today was great. I got rear-ended and sent into the gravel, but we managed to stay on the lead lap and made back some positions before handing over to the other guys, who did an amazing job. Dudu was an absolute missile, and I can’t say enough good things about him. I feel very lucky to be a part of this amazing team and staff.”

“What a finish,” said Adam. “Dudu was on fire all weekend and that last stint was special. I am delighted for the #23 car and crew. This year was always a learning year, being Gray’s first in WEC, so to get three podiums including one at Le Mans, and finish fifth in the championship was more than I could have expected. As a team, we’ve worked well together and it’s been a joy to work with everyone this year.” Source: Aston Martin

Championship winning Corvette climbed onto the third step of the podium

TF Sport’s #33 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R completed a magical season Sunday by taking the LMGT3 Drivers and Team championships at the end of a frantic Six Hours of Monza for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Jonny Edgar claimed the Drivers title while the crew of the No. 33 Corvette won the Teams championship with a third-place finish for Edgar, Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg, who finished second in Drivers points.

It is the second WEC title for the Corvette Racing program, adding to the 2023 GTE Am championship for Catsburg, Keating and Nico Varrone. TF Sport also won its second WEC title, as well, and first since 2022.

The No. 33 Corvette won in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first there for the Z06 GT3.R – and was second at the Six Hours of Imola to open the season. Sunday’s title came four weeks after TF Sport claimed back-to-back championships in the European Le Mans Series’ LMGT3 class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. TF Sport’s #33 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R

At the start of the day, the No. 33 needed to finish sixth or better to clinch the championship. It started second in class, dropped as far down as 15th, and then the trio worked its way back into the points and in podium position by the halfway mark.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Monza. TF Sport’s #33 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R

JONNY EDGAR, #33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 DRIVERS CHAMPION: “It’s a great feeling and really cool to be World Champion. It's a shame that Ben and Nicky technically aren't World Champions, and they should be because they have been here for nearly all the races. I've loved racing with them this year and obviously Ben the last two years. I feel lucky that Ben chose me to drive with him and I am happy that I could pay him back with some good results in the two years we have been together.”

(On the up-and-down prospects during the race) “It wasn’t looking great, I would say. I think I was at P12 at one point and didn’t seem too quick to start the stint. But then we started moving back up a few places, avoided penalties that some of the other cars had, managed to save fuel to extend the stint. That’s when we had a little bit of luck when one of the VSCs came out as we were on pit lane. That obviously helped but the 92 also got a bit lucky there and it kind of equaled out. From there it was just trying to have the best race possible. We knew that top-six was what we needed, but it’s great to finish here on the podium and win the championship with a good result rather than just kind of doing the minimum that was necessary. The pressure was definitely on because it looked like the 92 probably had it and they were going to win the race. That meant we had quite a bit to do and it wasn’t simple.”

(More on the championship) "I was quite relieved at the end. The last couple of stints were pretty stressful. We knew we needed to be top-six because from the last three hours it looked like the 92 was going to win. Everything had to go right, and it did. The team did a great job. Ben and Nicky did great and I'm happy to get it done. Since Le Mans we've been in a strong position so I knew the chance to win the championship looked good."

NICKY CATSBURG, #33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "The only thing that could have made today better is if Petit Le Mans would have been better. Then my season would have been complete. It's been fun to fight on both sides - the World Endurance Championship and in IMSA for the win. And Jonny won here with the team. A fantastic result. It was quite exciting in the end and not easy at all. I'm very, very happy also that we got a podium so we could celebrate on this awesome podium at Monza. A really nice feeling and result for the team and for Jonny to get what he deserves."

(On the race) "The last stint was very exciting. The guys behind me were all very fast and I knew we had to bring home a good result because the 92 unfortunately had enormous pace today with all their weight. We had to have a good result and it was tough. These were the first laps in the dry for me this weekend. On the first few laps I was way too slow and I could already see the stories... 'Catsburg is messing up Edgar's championship!' Luckily that didn't happen. The Corvette was great. I got some good coaching from the wall. We had good pace at the end. It feels really good to end the season with a podium as well. The podium here was really awesome. It's great to finish a very good championship and a very good season like this. If I have to look back, of course it's Jonny that wins but we've done it together.

"It's also deja vu because the last time I was here in a Corvette at Monza, we also won a championship in 2023. So Ben and I have a 100 percent win rate in the championship and at Le Mans! It's been very cool working with these guys and my first year with TF. Tom (Ferrier) has an amazing team and it's very cool to drive for them. And Jonny... it was my first year working with him and I'm sure you're going to hear a lot from this guy. He's been incredibly fast and did an unbelievable job this year, especially at Le Mans and even today. It's unreal. If you listen to the radio, he's helping the engineers play the right strategy. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing much more of him in a Corvette. I'm certain he is going to have a very nice future in this sport."

BEN KEATING, #33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It's pretty crazy! For the 92 (Porsche) starting in 11th, getting a drive-through penalty and me getting a penalty midway through the race, I thought neither of us had a chance. We both got really lucky on a virtual safety car, and I can’t believe that the 92 won the race. It put the points really close. I would have loved to have beaten them to get third-place in the Drivers Championship, but I will happily have fourth. But I still feel like this is my championship because I put the team together. I guess I would say, ‘I love it when a plan comes together!’

(More on the championship) “It's been an epic story. I asked myself the question early on that if I had the choice of winning Le Mans or the championship, I wanted to win Le Mans. But since we won Le Mans we've had a lot of success ballast which made the racing for the rest of the season challenging but also rewarding. Every single point mattered. It all came together at the end. It's super-special after the reconstruction of my elbow. Thinking back on it, I won with TF Sport in 2022, I won with Corvette in 2023 so I was really excited to come back last year with both TF and Corvette. That was a challenging season and for me that made the fire burn even hotter. Even though I missed the first two races and am fourth in the championship, I very much feel like this is my team and my championship. It's very special.” Source: Corvette Racing

BMW #69 fourth

The #69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO had a better afternoon. Anthony McIntosh drove a strong opening stint, climbing from P16 to P3, and Dan Harper and Parker Thompson kept the car in the podium fight. With pace dropping in the closing stages, the podium slipped away and the car took the flag in fourth. That was still enough to secure third place in the LMGT3 Drivers’ championship for the trio, who stood on the podium three times this season: a win at the 6 Hours of Imola in April, then second in São Paulo and third in Barcelona.

The #69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson and Dan Harper won the season opener at the 6 Hours of Imola, then added second place at the 6 Hours of São Paulo and third place at the 6 Hours of Barcelona. Those three podiums secured third place in the Drivers’ championship for the #69 trio. Source: BMW M Team WRT

Manthey DK Engineering in fifth place

The sister car of Manthey DK Engineering, driven by James Cottingham, Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven, completed the FIA World Endurance Championship season finale in Monza in fifth place. Over the course of the season, the trio recorded five top-ten finishes in the LMGT3 category and celebrated a podium result with second place in Austin. With a total of 64 championship points, the No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 R finished eighth in the LMGT3 Teams' Endurance Trophy

We were less fortunate strategically with the #91. James delivered a very strong performance during the opening two stints. When another car stopped on track, we consciously decided to take a strategic risk and brought the car into the pits. Unfortunately, our plan did not work out, as a Virtual Safety Car was called instead of the expected Full Course Yellow. That cost us several positions. Timur once again continued the strong form he has shown in recent races, and Ayhancan was very quick as well. Finishing fifth still represents a solid result.

James Cottingham, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "This season was full of highs and lows and gave us plenty of memorable moments along the way. I really enjoyed racing alongside Timur and Ayhancan and being part of this team. Of course, we were hoping for a stronger championship result overall, but things didn’t always fall our way. Nevertheless, I’m very proud of what we achieved together. What the entire crew delivered at every single race weekend was incredible. Nobody at Manthey ever gives up or settles for anything less than 100 percent, and that is something I truly appreciate. I’d also like to congratulate the team on securing its second victory of the season, as well as Yasser, Riccardo and Richard. They did a fantastic job throughout the year and fully deserve this success."

Timur Boguslavskiy, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "I'm pleased with both our race in Monza and our season overall. Things didn't always go according to plan, but that's motorsport. It was a pleasure to share the car with James and Ayhancan throughout the year, and I'm grateful for everything we achieved together. I'd also like to congratulate our sister car on securing a second consecutive victory. Yasser, Riccardo and Richard did a fantastic job all season long and fully deserved their success. It was great to see the team finish the year on such a high note."

Ayhancan Güven, Manthey DK Engineering Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: "Fifth place was the best result we could achieve today. During the race, we took a strategic gamble in an attempt to fight for victory, but unfortunately that decision ended up costing us some positions. From that point on, our focus was on recovering the lost ground and getting the most out of the remainder of the race. Congratulations to our sister car on the win. I'd also like to thank James, Timur, as well as all the mechanics and engineers at Manthey for a fantastic season. It was a pleasure to be part of this programme. While we ultimately didn't achieve the result we were aiming for in the championship, it was still an incredibly valuable experience and one that I learned a great deal from." Source: Manthey Racing