Guven To Not Defend DTM Title

Photo: DTM

Ayhancan Guven will not defend his DTM title, the newly minted Porsche factory driver has revealed.

The 27-year-old Turkish pilot, who took five wins en route to the championship in a Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R this year, had been widely speculated to be re-assigned to other activities within the German manufacturer for 2026 in recent weeks, with the news becoming official in a social media post on Sunday.

“I will not be on the DTM grid in 2026,” Guven wrote. “This championship was my childhood dream, something I worked toward for many years, and I am edging an incredible season by taking the title and seeing all my efforts pay off.

“It has not been an easy decision to step away from this championship.

“I still remember the excitement of my very first DTM race. With a single race opportunity in a car I had never driven before, I managed to prove myself and earned a full-time seat the following year.

“That chance led to three wonderful years and ultimately to becoming DTM champion, a true dream story.

“Thank you for your support throughout this journey.”

Guven said his “new and exciting challenges” will be announced tomorrow, potentially linking him to a LMGT3 seat with Manthey in the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the 2026 season entry list for the WEC set to be revealed on Monday.

He has also been linked to a switch to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship when Porsche expands into a two-team, four-car factory squad in the all-electric championship in 2026-27.

While not yet official, Manthey is expected to field Porsche 911 GT3 R Evos for Thomas Preining and Ricardo Feller as part of a slimmed down two-car program next year.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John