EDGE Sporting Management driver James Cottingham produced a standout performance at the Circuit of The Americas to help Manthey DK Engineering secure a superb second-place finish in the LMGT3 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Round five of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship took the grid to Austin, Texas, for the six-hour ‘Lone Star Le Mans’ encounter at the iconic Circuit of The Americas.
Cottingham arrived in the United States looking to continue the momentum he and his #91 Manthey DK Engineering team-mates Timur Boguslavskiy and Ayhancan Güven had built during the opening half of the campaign. Having finished fourth at the previous round in São Paulo, the target was clear – take the next step and fight for a place on the FIA WEC podium.
Both Manthey-run Porsche 911 GT3 R machines showed encouraging pace throughout free practice before attention turned to qualifying.
The #91 progressed comfortably through the opening qualifying session, finishing fourth and just four-tenths of a second away from the fastest time to earn its place amongst the ten LMGT3 cars contesting Hyperpole.
With the times reset for the decisive session, another impressive performance followed as the Manthey DK Engineering Porsche secured third on the LMGT3 grid, just 0.323 seconds away from pole position.
Expectations were therefore high heading into Sunday’s six-hour race – and Cottingham immediately demonstrated why.
Tasked with starting the race, the British driver produced an outstanding opening double stint. Remaining firmly amongst the leading group during the early stages, Cottingham combined impressive pace with consistency as he worked his way towards the front of the LMGT3 field.
By the end of his double stint, he had taken the #91 Porsche into the class lead before handing the car over to Boguslavskiy. His performance earned praise throughout the paddock and was subsequently highlighted by Manthey, who noted that Cottingham had at times been the fastest LMGT3 driver on the circuit.
The #91 remained firmly in contention for victory after the driver change, with Boguslavskiy spending significant time fighting at the head of the field.
A five-second penalty for gaining an advantage while running off circuit during a battle for position would ultimately prove costly, however, with the penalty having to be served at the subsequent pit stop. The delay allowed the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin to regain the advantage at the front.
With Güven completing the final portion of the race, the Manthey DK Engineering Porsche continued its pursuit of the leader but ultimately crossed the line in second place, just 5.007 seconds behind the victorious Aston Martin after six hours of competition.
The result represented the first FIA World Endurance Championship podium of the season for the #91 Manthey DK Engineering crew, while also moving Cottingham, Boguslavskiy and Güven from tenth to fifth in the LMGT3 standings.
It was also a particularly memorable weekend personally for Cottingham. His exceptional opening contribution to the race was recognised by the spectators, who voted him the LMGT3 Driver of the Day, earning him the Goodyear Wingfoot Award.
The result carried added significance for Manthey after technical problems caused by an early collision severely compromised the sister #92 Porsche. It left the #91 crew to lead the German team’s challenge at the front of the LMGT3 field, and Cottingham and his team-mates duly delivered with a deserved trip to the podium.
Following the race, Cottingham described himself as “absolutely delighted with the podium finish” and highlighted the fact that the team had been in contention for victory as evidence of the progress made during the season. He also expressed his pride at receiving the spectator-voted Wingfoot Award.
For EDGE Sporting Management, the result represents another significant achievement on the international stage. A podium finish in the FIA World Endurance Championship, coupled with an individual Driver of the Day accolade, underlines the strength of Cottingham’s performance in Texas and provides further momentum heading into the remaining rounds of the 2026 campaign.
The FIA World Endurance Championship now heads to Japan, with the 6 Hours of Fuji on 25–27 September forming round six of the eight-round season.