Guven Moves to Reigning Champions Manthey EMA

Newly crowned Repco Bathurst 12 Hour winner Ayhancan Guven will move to join Manthey EMA for his second season in DTM, forming a partnership with reigning champion Thomas Preining.

The Turkish driver picked up his maiden podium finish in the series during the Sachsenring weekend racing for KÜS Team Bernhard, which has since ended its involvement in the series to instead focus on a strategic partnership with Phantom Global Racing.

Guven instead moves to join reigning champions Manthey, the team with which he took his recent breakthrough victory at Bathurst, to drive the No. 90 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

He teams up with defending champion Preining to take over the seat vacated by Dennis Olsen, who left Porsche to become a Ford factory driver.

“I’m really looking forward to this project and the opportunities it presents,” said Guven.

“It’s fantastic for a driver to become part of the reigning championship team. And for me as a Porsche driver who started in the Sports Cup in 2016, it has a special meaning yet again.

“To go through all these stages and end up in the Grello in the DTM is a dream come true.”

The Nicolas Raeder-led stable is going into its second DTM season with a continued partnership with Australian operation EMA Motorsport that will also see the Manthey EMA name compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

It enjoyed a highly successful debut season in DTM, winning the drivers’ title with Preining, securing the teams’ championship and helping Porsche beat Lamborghini in the manufacturers’ standings.

“The 2023 DTM season couldn’t have gone better for us, and we were able to finish it as DTM champions,” said Raeder.

“We are now the hunted in the coming season, and I hope that we can successfully defend our titles. Our entire team is motivated and perfectly prepared to achieve this goal.

“In addition to Thomas Preining, Ayhancan Guven is another driver with DTM experience, and we are looking forward  to an exciting DTM season in 2024.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dennis Olsen  once again for again for his commitment in the 2023 season and wish him every success in his new challenges.”