Motorsport fans often wax lyrically about “the golden age” of each discipline. 1960s Formula One, Super Touring or Group B spring to mind. However, Sports Car racing is currently in a golden age. International manufacturers fill the grid with others on the way. The newest team, Genesis Magma Racing, are set to make their World Endurance Championship debut in April at the 6 Hours of Imola. The team will then expand into IMSA in 2027.
Team Identity
Genesis Magma Racing aim to combine the engineering might of Hyundai (parent company of Genesis), experienced drivers and personnel. Hyundai used its luxury performance brand Genesis to spearhead its entry into sports car racing. Genesis operates as a direct rival to BMW, Mercedes and Porsche. The project is also seen as an expansion of Hyundai’s success in rally and TCR racing. The South Korean automotive giants partnered with established French sports car team IDEC Sport. This meant Genesis could use IDEC’s European Le Mans Series LMP2 program to recruit and train new drivers. The IDEC Sport #18 LMP2 team of Jamie Chadwick, Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella won 3 rounds en-route to 3rd overall in the 2025 ELMS championship.
The First Steps
In December 2024, Genesis unveiled its new LMDh prototype, the GMR-001. They also announced its two development drivers, André Lotterer and Pipo Derani. Between the two FIA Platinum rated drivers, they have 3x 24 Hour of Le Mans victories, 2x WEC and 2x IMSA Championships. The pair were critical in developing the GMR-001 from a rolling chassis to a fully developed prototype. Genesis chose to use the Oreca chassis to build their LMDh. This chassis is shared with Acura, Alpine and Ford and it provided Genesis with a proven base. Their LMDh car is powered by a 3.2L V8 twin turbocharged engine based on two Hyundai WRC engines fused together. To align with LMDh regulations, Genesis also incorporated a hybrid system on the rear axle. The car successfully completed its first shakedown in August 2025 in France. Further endurance tests took place in September and December.
The team would go on to poach Alpine’s Paul-Loup Chatin and Porsche’s Mathieu Jaminet to drive the GMR-001. Genesis’ Trajectory Programme also promoted Jaubert and Juncadella to fill the remaining seats in the team’s two car entry for the 2026 WEC season. Jamie Chadwick would slot in as reserve driver while continuing to hone her talents in ELMS with IDEC Sport. Genesis Magma Racing have ensured that their driver line-up is full of veteran prototype drivers and young upcoming talent. This is sure to help progress the project from new team to podium finishes and beyond.
Off-track development
It is not just in the cockpit where Genesis was building a line-up of experience and skill. The team is lead off-track by ex-Hyundai WRC and Renault F1 team principal Cyril Abiteboul. He is supported by a massive talent pool of veteran engineers with experience from F1, Ferrari Hypercar and WTCC champion Gabriele Tarquini. This off-track all-star line-up ensures the project can become competitive from the first session. These experts bring decades of experience from every corner of motorsport to the project. The arrival of Genesis Magma Racing marks the first Korean Manufacturer to enter WEC. The team’s on-track presence is sure to be striking with its bold silver and orange livery making a mark on the circuit.
Abiteboul said there was “absolutely no alternative” to creating an in-house manufacturer team. The international project employs 75 people across 16 nationalities. The team’s is base split across Le Castellet, France and Hyundai Motorsport’s HQ in Germany. The logistics and risk of forming a new team is always challenging. Just making it to the grid is no small achievement. The team completed the monumental task of assembling a car, powertrain, driver line-up and team in just 499 days between the launch announcement and the team’s debut in Imola.
Tough Challenge and High Aspirations
Despite all this, Genesis entry into WEC Hypercar will be tough. Fierce competition from Toyota, Ferrari, Cadillac and more ensures Genesis’ debut season will be a battle on and off-track. Existing manufactures have more experience, knowledge and practise not just from Hypercar racing but from endurance racing stretching back for decades. For Genesis the challenge will not be just outright speed but also strategy, reliability and operational sharpness. However, with a proven chassis, elite driver line-up and experienced leadership, the team has all the elements to move from ambitious upstart to genuine contender in 2026 and beyond.
Featured image photo by Genesis News USA