Unconventional Strategy Pays Off for Manthey EMA Porsche at Le Mans 24 Hours
In a thrilling display of strategic calls, the Manthey EMA Porsche team secured a remarkable LMGT3 class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, a double points round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The win, achieved by drivers Yasser Shahin, Richard Lietz, and Morris Schuring, propels the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R into a joint lead in the pro-am category.
Shahin, a bronze-graded driver, credited the team’s unorthodox approach for their success, stating that “there are a lot of things that were unconventional about Manthey’s approach.” This bold strategy yielded a one-lap advantage over the #31 WRT BMW M4, marking Shahin’s maiden Le Mans victory.
The Australian driver explained that the team’s tactical decisions began early, as he was one of only four bronze drivers to take the race start. When the first rain shower hit, the team opted to pit and bring in 19-year-old silver driver Schuring, who took advantage of the mixed conditions with fresh tires.
“This paid off, but it meant I didn’t do the planned triple stint,” Shahin said. “So, when I got in the car two hours later, we knew it was going to be a struggle to make up my minimum six-hour driving time.”
Shahin went on to complete a quadruple stint on a single set of tires, a move he described as “not particularly orthodox.” He later returned to the car during a lengthy safety car period and stayed in to give Lietz and Schuring a longer break, allowing them to tackle the race restart with fresh tires.
Factory driver Lietz, a five-time Le Mans class winner, acknowledged that the team’s strategy was crucial in avoiding major mistakes, but revealed that he wasn’t always in agreement with the calls made. “I asked for several things and nothing happened,” he said. “But it’s OK, we won, so forget about this!”
The sister #92 Manthey car, shared by Klaus Bachler, Joel Sturm, and Alexander Malykhin, was forced into a 24-minute pitstop to resolve gearbox problems, ultimately finishing 10th among regular WEC entrants.
The win marks a remarkable turnaround for the #91 crew, who failed to score points in the first two WEC rounds due to mechanical issues and accident damage. Shahin admitted that the team’s resurgence has come as a surprise, given their early-season setbacks.
“We had a throttle body failure in race one, completely unlucky. Race two was just a debacle, and genuinely, none of our fault. We threw away the first two, and so we had no prospect of being back in the championship,” Shahin said. “This has just reversed all that with two consecutive wins. Morris and Richie were just saying, ‘Look, I can feel we’re good enough, we just need some momentum’. And so it’s been nice.”
The WEC 2023 season continues with the next round scheduled for [insert date]. As the series looks ahead to the remainder of the year, the Manthey EMA Porsche team will be a force to be reckoned with, having solidified their position in the pro-am category. Don’t miss the upcoming WEC calendar 2023 announcements and stay tuned for more thrilling races in the world of endurance racing.
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