Genesis Magma Racing (GMR) has been moving full throttle toward its 2026 WEC debut. The team has revealed the LMDh-spec GMR-001 hypercar and its brand-new V8, while driver and crew training is progressing under the Genesis Trajectory Program. Partnering with French outfit IDEC Sport, Genesis has entered the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), giving its drivers and engineers an intense baptism of fire. The campaign has already delivered: a class win in LMP2 at the season opener, overall victory in Round 2 at Barcelona, and valuable lessons at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Genesis made WEC ambitions official last year, and by April 2024 the GMR-001 was on display at the New York Auto Show. More recently, a video of the V8 engine firing up in its chassis grabbed headlines worldwide.
Development of the dedicated V8 began in June 2023 and hit its first milestone in February 2024, when the engine roared to life in Alzenau, Germany. On July 9, it was installed into the Oreca-built chassis at Le Castellet, France, marking the first complete GMR-001 prototype.
Hypercar engines typically come in V6 or V8 turbocharged layouts. Genesis based its new V8 twin-turbo on Hyundai Motorsport’s proven 1.6-liter inline-four turbo from WRC, sharing around 60 percent of the components. Per LMDh regulations, the GMR-001 combines an Oreca chassis, an Xtrac gearbox, a Bosch MGU, and a Williams Advanced Engineering battery pack.
Genesis Magma Racing Technical Director François-Xavier Demaison, explained: "With the time we had available to develop the engine, we immediately knew we did not have enough time to completely design a new engine from scratch. For the main part of an engine, you need a long time to design, validate, and of course, to produce. Every part needs to be tested over many kilometers, and the inline-four engine from our World Rally Championship car has already been well proven. It became the logical step to carry over as many parts as possible from the four-cylinder engine."
Development has since accelerated. The first completed GMR-001 chassis was moved to GMR’s new Race Base facility at Le Castellet, where it underwent its initial shakedown in bare carbon trim. Lead drivers André Lotterer and Luís Felipe “Pipo” Derani have already completed simulator sessions and baseline setup work ahead of full-scale testing.
With its chassis, V8, hybrid system, and gearbox now united, the GMR-001 will embark on a grueling test program across Europe, targeting its competitive debut in the 2026 WEC season. Engineers and mechanics will pore over data while drivers verify setups in the simulator, steadily sharpening the car into a race-ready weapon.
"We are at a time, where we seem to be passing milestones every day, but this is exactly what we must be doing.” said GMR Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul. “After planning for and talking about these moments for the last eight months, to be able to see a finished car running exactly as we planned is incredibly exciting.”
The GMR-001 has now moved beyond design and build, entering the critical phase of proving durability and performance in real-world conditions. Genesis is turning every step into a chance to accelerate development, laying the groundwork for its first attack on the world stage of endurance racing.
The LMDh formula—short for Le Mans Daytona hybrid—was born from IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with technical regulations aligned with the WEC to allow crossover competition. While LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) manufacturers must design every element independently, LMDh was created for cost efficiency. Entrants select one of four chassis suppliers (Oreca, Dallara, Multimatic, or Ligier) and pair it with a spec hybrid system: a Williams battery, a Bosch MGU, and an Xtrac gearbox. Unlike LMH cars, which can temporarily run all-wheel drive, LMDh machines channel both engine and hybrid power solely to the rear axle.
Although LMH cars may hold a slight performance edge, LMDh offers clear advantages: lower costs and faster development timelines.
Importantly, LMDh also offers a major marketing advantage in the U.S., a crucial market for premium brands. Cadillac, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini, and Acura are already in. Even Alpine—without a U.S. sales presence—has committed, while Ford and McLaren are preparing LMDh entries for 2027.
Developing the car is only half the battle; building the team is equally critical. Genesis organized GMR in Le Castellet, specifically at a test track adjacent to the Circuit Paul Ricard, rather than Hyundai Motorsport’s rally base in Alzenau, Germany.
To accelerate experience, Genesis partnered with endurance veteran IDEC Sport, launching the Genesis Trajectory Program.
Collaborations between automakers and racing teams are nothing unusual in motorsport. Specialist outfits born and bred on the circuit bring deep racing expertise, offering wide-ranging and detailed support from car development to team operations. For manufacturers, running a permanent in-house racing team can be a heavy burden, so they often partner with these experts to gain access to skilled personnel, facilities, and hard-earned know-how.
The same applies to teams currently competing in the WEC. Endurance racing legends like Porsche are partnered with America’s powerhouse Penske, Aston Martin is aligned with Heart of Racing, BMW M relies on Belgium’s Team WRT, and Ferrari leans on AF Corse for its campaigns.
Founded in 2015 by Patrice Lafargue, IDEC Sport claimed the 2019 ELMS title and competes in LMP2, LMP3, and Michelin Le Mans Cup. Former Peugeot factory driver Nicolas Minassian serves as Sporting Director.
For this season, IDEC’s #18 LMP2 car has been repainted in GMR’s signature magma-orange livery, serving as a rolling testbed for Genesis drivers, engineers, and mechanics.
The driver lineup is taking shape. Three-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer and Brazilian ace Pipo Derani anchor the squad. Supporting them are Jamie Chadwick, Mathys Jaubert, and Daniel Juncadella. Endurance racing requires at least three drivers per car, so six or more drivers are needed across two cars. Rotation is common, as drivers juggle commitments in multiple series.
Jamie Chadwick is a British driver who became the youngest-ever champion of the GT4 class in the British GT Championship at just 16 in 2015. She went on to win the inaugural W Series title in 2019 and has since notched a victory and two podiums in Indy NXT.
Mathys Jaubert, just 20 years old, is the youngest driver on the team. He finished runner-up in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup France and first sampled LMP2 machinery during the ELMS rookie test at Portimão in 2023, marking him as a promising newcomer to endurance racing.
Daniel Juncadella is a seasoned 34-year-old Spaniard with experience across multiple categories. Starting in Master Junior Formula, he progressed through Formula BMW, GP3, European F3, and even tested as a young driver in F1 before serving as a reserve for Force India. Most recently, he claimed LMGT3 class victory in the 1,812 km WEC season-opener at Qatar with TF Sport.
Genesis has also adopted an advanced driving simulator from U.K.-based Dynisma. The high-end simulator is sophisticated enough to be used in Formula 1, delivering a near-real driving experience. It will be invaluable not only for collecting development data on the new hypercar but also for driver training. With real-world track testing limited, the simulator becomes an essential piece of equipment.
The partnership between Genesis and IDEC Sport got off to a strong start at the ELMS season opener, the 4 Hours of Barcelona, marking a successful launch of the Trajectory Program. The ELMS is organized by the ACO as the entry tier of endurance racing—if WEC is Formula 1, ELMS is Formula 2. The ACO’s endurance lad-der runs from the Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series at the base, through ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series, with the WEC sitting at the top.
In early April, 31 teams and 131 drivers lined up at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the season’s first ELMS round. IDEC Sport’s #18 LMP2, wearing GMR’s orange livery, was driven by Jamie Chadwick, Mathys Jaubert, and Daniel Juncadella. The sister #28 car was piloted by Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Job van Uitert.
The #18 started outside the top ten but clawed its way into the lead battle by mid-race. Jaubert, driving the final stint, even surged into first place. A late call for used tires, however, opened the door for the chasing #83 AF Corse car on fresh rubber. Overall victory slipped away, but taking the LMP2 class win was still a milestone first step for Genesis Magma Racing. It was also the first-ever ELMS LMP2 class victory by a female driver, Jamie Chadwick.
Round 2, the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, was held at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France, IDEC Sport’s home turf. On the team’s 10th anniversary season, the race was particularly meaningful. Pre-race rain created chaos at the start, and Chadwick’s bold call to start on slicks saw her spin at Turn 2 and drop to the back. A switch to wets dropped her to 18th, but she calmly fought her way back up the order. As the track dried, pit-stop timing became a high-stakes gamble. In the final hour, Jaubert seized the lead as rivals pitted and held off Nielsen Racing’s late charge to take the checkered flag.
The victory marked the first overall win in the partnership with Genesis, and also IDEC Sport’s first at its home track—a fitting moment in the team’s 10th anniversary year. For Chadwick, it was another milestone: the first overall ELMS win by a female driver. Thanks to that triumph, both the driver and team standings vaulted into the championship lead.
From mid-May into June, the ELMS calendar paused, but the team had no time to rest—because the biggest race in endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, awaited. Every June, the world’s top teams and drivers converge on France’s Sarthe region, and for Genesis Magma Racing. Preparing for WEC meant targeting Le Mans as the ultimate goal.
Genesis lined up its IDEC Sport LMP2 contender with André Lotterer, Jamie Chadwick, and Paul-Loup Chatin Jaubert on the entry list. Originally, it was supposed to be Dani Juncadella taking the seat, but with his prior commitment to another team in the LMGT3 class, it was Lotterer who ultimately took the wheel.
Early setup issues kept the team out of Hyperpole, leaving them to start 14th in class. But once the race got underway, they wasted no time carving through the field. By the time opening driver André Lotterer handed the car over to Jamie Chadwick, they were already up to 8th, and at around 4 a.m.—the halfway point—the IDEC Sport duo was running 4th and 5th. Just two hours later, however, disaster struck: the right rear wheel came off, forcing Lotterer to retire the car on the long Mulsanne Straight.
Le Mans may have ended in a heartbreaking retirement, but Genesis stayed firmly on course with its long-term roadmap by announcing fresh additions to the team right before the race. Newly appointed team manager Anouck Abadie brought pedigree from the renowned GT outfit Kessel Racing, while chief engineer Justin Taylor arrived with experience across both WEC Hypercar and IMSA LMDh programs—an invaluable hire as Genesis eyes an IMSA entry in 2027. And there was also a familiar face: Italian veteran Gabriele Tarquini, the driver who once delivered Hyundai a WTCR championship, returned to the fold as sporting director.
Three weeks after Le Mans, the ELMS circus moved to Italy’s Imola circuit for Round 3. The Genesis Magma Racing entry showed strong pace in practice, but a sud-den downpour just before qualifying meant they had to start from ninth on the grid. Jamie Chadwick navigated the early chaos brilliantly, using a fuel-saving strategy to climb as high as second. Daniel Juncadella gambled on slicks in the rain but slid off, damaging the car and limping back to the pits. A string of subsequent incidents kept the team from capitalizing on their pace, and they eventually finished 11th, missing out on points. The setback handed the championship lead to VDS Panis Racing—but only by a single point, leaving everything still wide open.
The first half of the ELMS season wrapped up with Round 4 at Belgium’s legendary Spa-Francorchamps on August 24. From there, the series moves on to Silverstone in the U.K. before closing out in October at Portugal’s Algarve circuit. The championship fight remains critical, but for Genesis the bigger prize lies just ahead—an official debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship. It’s the brand’s first-ever purpose-built race car taking on the sport’s top class, a battleground stacked with manufacturers who’ve spent decades in endurance racing and have cabinets full of Le Mans silverware. For Genesis, it’s still only the opening steps, but just as Hyundai proved in touring cars and the WRC, the charge of Hyundai Motorsport and Genesis Magma Racing isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
By Su-jin Lee
In 1991, Lee’s passion for cars led him to enthusiastically write letters to the newly launched Korean car magazine
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