The recent departure of Kai Storling, the prestigious race engineer who guided Thomas Preining to the DTM 2023 title, has generated significant anticipation in the motorsport world. Now, Manthey has confirmed an internal solution to fill this gap, while maintaining the stability of its competition team.
Preining, who has worked closely with Storling, has expressed his understanding regarding the latter’s decision to leave Manthey after seven years. This departure is marked by a professional relationship that, as he himself has said, was almost like a partnership.
According to sources close to the team, Storling’s position will be filled by Patrick Arkenau, the current operations director of Manthey and recognized as one of the best engineers in the DTM paddock. Arkenau was already prepared to take on more responsibilities as both a race engineer and team leader, which will facilitate a smooth transition at this critical moment of the season.
On the other hand, Storling is not retiring from the motorsport world, as he is joining SSR Performance as operations manager. This is an unexpected move, as SSR was one of Manthey’s fiercest rivals during competitions. In this new position, he will focus on operational management and innovation in vehicle development.
The departure of Storling, who has also been key in Manthey’s victories in various competitions such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, opens the door to a new chapter for both him and the team he is leaving behind.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
