Porsche is the second-most-successful manufacturer in the history of the Nürburging 24 Hours, with 13 wins to BMW’s 21. Its two most recent victories (2018 and 2021) have come courtesy of Manthey Racing, which also dominated the early years of the GT3 era, going unchallenged on the top step of the podium from 2006 to 2009.
At the 2026 edition, the team founded by Olaf Manthey (but majority-owned by Porsche since 2013) is celebrating both its 30th anniversary competing at the N24, as well as the 10th anniversary of the unmissable ‘Grello’ paint scheme, which first appeared at a VLN round in 2016.
Several previous examples of the scheme are on display (below) in the Ring Boulevard complex next to the track this year, and the 2026 car combines the familiar ‘Grello’ colours with design elements seen on previous Manthey Porsche entries. The team has also launched a book at the event. Titled Three Decades. One Legacy. Endless Passion, it features large-format photography and text in both German and English looking back across the history of the team.
On track, a Manthey Porsche crossed the line first on the road in 2025, but was subsequently demoted to second after a penalty was assessed on Kevin Estre following a collision with a GT4 car earlier in the race. The Frenchman and his co-drivers, Turkey’s Ayhancan Güven and Austria’s Thomas Preining are back for another shot in 2026, though; DSC sat down with Preining for a quick catch-up after his run to eighth place in final qualifying to assess the mood in the camp.
“It’s a cool qualifying system, I think, but it’s too complicated for fans to understand how the pre-qualified cars get their spots in the Top Qualifying 3; that should be more transparent,” the Austrian says when asked his thoughts on the revised procedure for 2026. “But in general I like a ‘shootout’ system like this; it’s what we know from F1, it’s what we need and want. It can go either way for us as drivers, especially if there’s a crash during the session, so you need a bit of luck. It’s also representative of race pace, as we’re running full of fuel, so if you’re not quick here, you won’t be quick in the race.”
Although Preining declares himself satisfied with the car’s qualifying result, he does sound a note of concern about the limited running the team has had in the run-up to this year’s event, with NLS 1 and 4 not happening, and NLS 2 clashing with Sebring for Manthey. It means Estre, for example, has only completed one Nordschleife race meeting so far this year, the N24 Qualifier. But Preining is not dwelling on this, nor on last year’s disappointment. As he puts it simply: “For me, having finished second twice, the goal is clear.”
While Preining suffered the disappointment of missing out on victory last year, his IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup co-driver Klaus Bachler had to miss the race entirely. “I’m really happy that I can make it this year,” the Austrian, who’ll race Falken Motorsports’ #44 Porsche at the ’Ring, tells DSC.
“I was really sad, to be honest, that I missed it in ’25. It was a clash with [IMSA at] Watkins Glen, which I think many drivers were not too happy about, because everybody wants to be here at this special place and to do the 24 hours.”
Schanbl Engineering – the team behind Falken Motorsports and its new, sister Dunlop Motorsport entity – has been knocking on the door of a major result at the Nürburgring 24 for over a decade. Its last podium came in 2015, while Bachler himself was part of its 2021 fourth-place finishing crew, which missed out on the top three by less than 3.5 seconds.
Last year, the team won five Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races, and was in contention for victory in the 24 Hours until Julien Andlauer was unable to avoid a spun lower-class machine.
“At the NLS races, especially last year, it was great,” Bachler says. “So many victories, so many podiums, but of course, the goal is to be good in the 24-hour race. The competition is for sure the highest of all the races, because there’s so many cars here, and also it’s 24 hours. It’s not only demanding for the drivers, but also for the car, and for every crew member.”
One of the strengths of the Falken programme has been its stability. Bachler is entering his ninth year with the project, with his teammates Tim Heinemann, Sven Müller and Morris Schuring all also regular in Schnabl’s Nürburgring exploits.
“The drivers have been nearly the same for many years now,” Bachler states. “That’s very good, because consistency is key. There’s things where we can improve from the last few years. Because we are sorted with many other things, we can focus on the smaller details, which is important.”
Consistency could be especially important this year, with Bachler predicting the weather might play its part in the outcome of the race. Both cold and wet conditions have impacted the Nordschleife this week, with neither set to let up for race day. As one of the teams with the most track experience, adverse weather should, in theory, play into Falken Motorsports’ hands.
“I think we will have some special weather conditions,” says the 34-year-old. “Honestly in wet and in dry conditions, it really depends how cold it is and how much water, but if we have the right tyre on at the right time, we should be very competitive.”
With a record GT3 field, and the largest grid since 2014, staying out of trouble will be vital, with several incidents in qualifying potentially suggesting we are in for an attritional edition. “First qualifying, I don’t know how many GT3 cars were already out, or crashed, or hit the barriers. There were also incidents between faster and slower cars. It was crazy.,” Bachler states.
“I had the privilege to do the first two laps, and I have to say my only plan was to stay out of trouble, because it was so chaotic. I think this showed that this year, especially with the low temperatures and different weather conditions, it’s so easy to make a mistake or that something happens.
“I think for all these spectators out there, it will be amazing to watch, because there will be a lot of things happening. You need to stay out of all these troubles so that you have a chance at the end.”
Images courtesy of Frozenspeed
