As move over Jacky Ickx, Thars’ a new six times
class winner!
According to Daily sports Car’s post race
report, the No. 92 Manthey 1st Form Porsche 911GT3 R claimed a dominating
victory over the second place No. 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3.
Hurriedly scribbling sometime during the final
90mins, the No. 92 led last portion of race, winning LMGT3 for second year
in-a-row. Jotting down the finishing order below, presumably during the final
hourly update.
LMGT3: #92-21-81-27-87-90
Seeing the aforementioned first two finishers followed
by TF Sport’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R; Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin
Vantage; Akkodis Asp’s Lexus RC F and the second Manthey Porsche 911 R. (992
model)
Whilst I simply couldn’t resist the quote from
Richard Lietz, part of Manthey’s winning driver trio.
“First of all, you have to be very old to be able
to win six times! I am lucky enough to be here for the 19th time with
Porsche, always as a factory driver. And basically every year since 2007, it
has been really good to me.”
“Le Mans with six victories is incredible. And it’s
the first time back-to-back. Manthey last year trusted me: I was kind of at the
end of my driver career, towards the end, and I was thinking of stopping, and
then they said, like, I have to come back. So now, two years later, two more Le
Mans victories.”
(Source: dailysportscar.com)
Lietz’s six class victories at Circuit de la
Sarthe were in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2022, 2024-2025.
Being joined this year by Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera, being familiar with
Lietz and Hardwick’s names. As Hardwick came upon my radar when winning the
2022 Rolex 24 GTD class for Wright Motorsports.
Whilst I was unaware that He’d won the 2023
European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMGTE and 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship
(WEC) LMGT3 class titles.
Funniest bit is Lietz’s quip about having to be
really old to win so many times, with Hardwick being some three years, two
weeks older if I’ve done my ryth-huh-tickin’ correctly? (Hardwick’s currently
45 years old) With Pera being the young whippersnapper of this trio at just 26.
Another name I recognized was Charlie Eastwood,
who finished third aboard the TF Sport Corvette, who also competes for EXDT
Racing in IMSA GTD competition.
While I’ve long been a fan of The Heart of
Racing Team since it’s Team Seattle days supporting Seattle’s Childrens
Hospital, spearheaded by Ian James. Although now based in Phoenix, AZ and
having switched from Porsche 911’s to becoming Aston Martin’s Werks Hypercar
operation in both the WEC and IMSA GTP.
The No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage started on
pole, but James and Zacharie Robichon, both longtime IMSA competitors were part
of the car finishing fourth, along with Mattia Drudi. As Robichon won the 2021
IMSA GTD championship for Pfaff Motorsports.
Ironically, just discovering that Robichon was
part of that 2022 Wright Motorsports Rolex 24 GTD class winning quartet ‘O
drivers. Alongside Hardwick, Lietz and Jan Van Hagar’ Heylen.
Although I know the name of the French Lexus
race team, since I struggle on their spelling. Guessing fifth place is about
what to expect from the long in the tooth Lexus racecar, with 2026 being its
final season.
As I’m guessing that LMGT3 was largely
overlooked, due to the excitement of the late LMP2 antics, and everybody
focused upon that bright yellow No. 83 Ferrari 499P winning overall.
While are we really surprised it was another Porsche v Ferrari battle in LMGT3…
