IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP: SAHLEN'S SIX HOURS OF THE GLEN

June 28, 2026

Ryan Hardwick

Richard Lietz

Riccardo Pera

Manthey 1St Phorm

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Now we are joined by our GTD winners in the No. 912 Manthey 1St Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Ryan, why don't you start us off. This team is new to the IMSA championship but certainly not new to top-level racing around the world, and we're seeing it here. Just tell us what it means to bring home another win here for them and for your team and how it feels to get back to Victory Lane and IMSA competition for you personally.

RYAN HARDWICK: Yeah, I think for the team, it's very important. I mean, this is the IMSA championship, I know something that Manthey themselves as an organization has wanted to come and compete in for many years. I'm just really happy to be a part of it in their first season here.

I can tell you everyone on the team, from the owners to management and engineers, all the mechanics, everyone really loves coming here to America and our style of racing and our tracks. So the whole team is just really excited to be participating in these tracks.

It's an interesting spot for me to be the -- I would say the one with the most track experience. That's usually not the case for me. But I'm enjoying being a part of it. As you can see, the team is very well prepared for even tracks that they haven't visited before. We always have an exceptional race car, and the team makes unbelievable decisions and quick work on pit lane, and that's what it takes to be successful in these endurance races.

It's a team sport, and the three of us, along with Manthey, we've had a lot of success over the last couple of years racing together, and it's nice to be able to do that here in the U.S. and IMSA.

Q. Richard, you got drafted in here a little bit last minute, drafted into the race here, and now you're taking home a trophy. What does that feel like?

RICHARD LIETZ: I know at the end all the drivers complain about clashes, but for me it's the reason I got the job this weekend. The 24 of Spa is also this weekend, so therefore Porsche called me quite early in the year already but not saying which race and which team it's going to be, and when Ryan and Team Manthey asked me, I was of course really excited to come back to America to race.

I have to say that this track is really -- you need a lot of commitment from the drivers. I think it's a really intense, multiple-class racing circuit, but I really enjoyed it.

We had a great car. At the end the right strategy calls, even though during the race I was not 100 percent sure what we were doing. But it ended up, with some luck, to be the best choice.

It was a pleasure to share the car with these two gentlemen next to me, and I really enjoyed my trip to America.

Q. Riccardo, both Ryan and Richard have won IMSA races before. How does it feel to join those ranks here today as the newest winner?

RICCARDO PERA: Yeah, for me it was very special, the first win in America. To do it here in Watkins Glen, which is an iconic track. As Richard said, the drivers need a lot of commitment, and a really challenging track. So I'm really happy.

After winning Le Mans and the world title last year together, finally we had the opportunity to race together again. So really happy, and yeah, for sure another day that I will never forget.

Race-wise, I have to thank the team. We had a great car and also good strategy calls. These two guys drove amazing. Yeah, I think we did a really good job, and yeah, couldn't ask for more.

Q. I believe you guys led for eight laps today, but you were up front and within contention throughout the race. What was sort of the strategy behind getting the win?

RYAN HARDWICK: Well, starting from nearly the last row clearly, we only had one direction to go with strategy. But I will say when you're in the back, there are some different chances you can take.

We found ourselves in the back with the championship standing starting order.

I think it was crucial about mid-race -- the start of the race for me, it's very difficult to pass on this track. Our car wasn't the fastest on top speed and acceleration, but when we got clean air, we were quite fast. I was very patient in my stints and waited for opportunities, and as everyone saw, there were lots of crashes and lots of opportunities with other cars just basically taking themselves out.

We remained calm, and also in the pit box I will say our engineers made some really good strategy calls to get, at one point, all three of us kind of out of the traffic and in clear air where we could then put some appropriate lap times down.

I know at the end of the race, what took us to the lead, Riccardo was able to undercut the top three cars just by pitting a little bit early and being the first ones to pit on the last couple pit stops, and that's what put him out in clear air, and we were able to sail to the front. It was easy, right, Riccardo? Nice and easy.

Q. Riccardo, this is your first win in America. How good does this feel, particularly after Sebring where you had that unfortunate accident near the end of the race that could have made it -- would have prevented a Manthey double victory back there at Sebring?

RICCARDO PERA: Yeah, exactly. Sebring we just left for sure more. We were really fast, and unfortunately we had the contact in the last hour. Yeah, it felt really good today to take back, let's say, this win.

As I said, I'm really happy, and also how the race went. As Ryan said, good strategy call by the team. I was able to undercut the dropped three cars, and being in clean air, I was fast enough to take the first position.

Let's say after Daytona and Sebring, I'm really happy now to step up on the podium and take this victory. Now we have two more races, and let's hope for another good result.