At the six-hour race in Imola, “Manthey 1st Phorm” won with their Porsche 911 GT3 R (#92) ahead of the new BMW M4 GT3 EVO (#46) from Team WRT. The Porsche and BMW fought for victory right up to the finish line. It was Manthey 1st Phorm’s first win in the FIA WEC.
The Porsche (#92) consistently advanced into the leading group throughout the race, maintaining a close proximity to the frontrunners. Drivers Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera skillfully narrowed the gap during their stints, keeping the pressure on the leaders.
Richard Lietz, taking the final stint in the #92, decisively clinched the victory. Ultimately, it was a thrilling motorsport duel between Porsche and BMW, with the Porsche customer team emerging victorious.
The BMW M4 GT3 Evo (#46) started the race from pole position, and Ahmad Al Harty defended the lead in the BMW for almost the entire distance during his double stint.
When Valentino Rossi took over the M4 GT3 Evo (#46), he fell back due to the pit stop and closely chased the leading Ferrari. During the overtaking attempt, he made contact with the rear of the car ahead, resulting in a stop-and-go penalty for the team.
Kelvin van der Linde took the final stint for the BMW Team WRT and launched an impressive comeback in Imola. In the final laps, he pushed hard to overtake the leading Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey 1st Phorm, but his efforts were ultimately in vain.
“It was very exciting and extremely close! There was a lot of stress during the race. While others made some mistakes, we managed to get through the six hours very cleanly. That made the difference. One more lap would have been difficult for us in the tough and beautiful battle against BMW. Thanks to Ryan, Riccardo, and the entire team. Hopefully, it continues to go just as well – but with a little less drama at the end,” said Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz.
“I have mixed feelings because a podium is a good result, but we could have won. It’s very unfortunate because the team did a fantastic job, the car was very fast, and we managed the tires well. Ahmad and especially Kelvin at the end drove brilliantly. Kelvin fought until the end and brought the podium home. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and hit the Ferrari in front of me while attempting to overtake. The resulting penalty cost us the victory. I’m sorry,” said Valentino Rossi.
In the LMGT3 class, the other GT3 race cars equipped with KW V6 Racing dampers finished as follows: eighth place (Porsche 911 GT3 R, #85, Iron Dames), eleventh place (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, #10, Racing Spirit of Leman), twelfth place (BMW M3 GT3 Evo, #31, The Bend Team WRT), and eighteenth place (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, #27, Heart of Racing Team).
Press Photos by BMW and Porsch
