– After five of eight DTM weekends, a clear internal balance of power is emerging at the Porsche top team Manthey: Thomas Preining, who has been with the team since 2022 and became champion in 2023, clearly has the upper hand against newcomer Ricardo Feller and leads the qualifying duel 10:0. Preining also has a clear lead in the overall standings as fourth with 117 points, while Feller is only 14th with 64 points.
Read more Mercedes GLA (2026): New generation starts from 48,600 euros
But how does Manthey deal with the fact that Feller, as the successor to champion Ayhancan Güven, is so far clearly in the shadow of Preining? “We are very satisfied with the development, that was clear to us beforehand,” says Patrick Arkenau, who acts as race director at Manthey, in response to Motorsport-Total.com.
“We see nothing negative at all, but it is going exactly as we wished, if not even a little better,” the engineer supports the Swiss team newcomer, who has been part of the Porsche squad for just over a year.
“It’s an automatic process for him”: Manthey clearly sees Preining at an advantage
But why did Manthey not expect Feller to stand up to Preining from the start? “It was clear to us – and we know this from previous years – that it is always difficult to enter this environment – also in the way we work,” explains Arkenau.
“And of course also racing against Tommy, who is now in his fourth year with Manthey – with the car, with the same key people, with the same key positions – and doesn’t have to think about anything. That is an automatic process for him,” he points out that Preining has been racing for Manthey since the end of 2022 – and not only in the DTM.
Why Feller has to adjust in several areas
“We saw the same in 2024 with Ayhancan,” Arkenau refers to Ayhancan Güven’s debut year at Manthey, who had a difficult start in 2024, was only able to keep up with Preining from mid-season, and sensationally became DTM champion in 2025.
Read more WRC Rally Finland: Ogier’s wild off-road causes next drama
That also has to do with Manthey’s way of working. And it takes a certain amount of time, “until you are fully integrated into this system and can use it to the maximum for yourself. We see the same now with Ricardo. In the end, the DTM is a very special championship – and we pursue a relatively special approach. It simply takes time for the pairing to grow together.”
Photo series: From driver to team boss: Olaf Manthey’s career at a glance
And one more thing: The Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo could also play a role, because Feller drove the Audi R8 LMS GT3 until last year and only partially sat in the Porsche in 2025. While switching to many GT3 cars is not a big hurdle, the agile Porsche with its rear-wheel drive requires a unique driving style, which many drivers have problems with at the beginning.
Manthey expects development like champion Güven
Arkenau expects Feller to undergo a similar development as Güven, who in 2024 at the season finale in Hockenheim finished third in qualifying and the race for the first time in the top 3 with Manthey. “We see a very clear upward trend with Ricardo,” says Manthey’s DTM race director.
“I think we see the same as with Ayhancan, that Ricardo will be absolutely competitive by the end of the season – on par with Tommy – and then next year we will attack fully again with two cars. Just as we saw from 2024 to 2025,” Arkenau announces.
Read more Mitsubishi Blue Light Campaign: Special Conditions for Helpers
