Written by Aaron Carroll, Edited by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina
The Hyundai luxury brand announced today in a presentation evening that it has plans for a WEC entry in 2026 and IMSA in 2027 with its new GMR-001.
At the event, Genesis revealed a striking new prototype design for its top class endurance challenger. The chassis itself is based on an ORECA chassis, with the bodywork containing some references to the brand's road car designs.
The team will be backed by the parent company’s motorsport division - Hyundai Motorsport - but will be run by the latest ‘Genesis Magma Racing’. Former Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abuteboul will act as Team Principal for the new ‘Magma’ squad.
The first two factory drivers were also announced with Pipo Derani and Andre Lotterer confirmed for 2026 and beyond. Derani brings a wealth of prototype experience, most recently racing for Cadillac in IMSA. While Lotterer is coming off the back of a WEC championship winning season with the factory Porsche Penske team.
The timeline provided by Genesis Magma, included a stint in ELMS partnering with IDEC Sport for an LMP2 entry which will be driven by former Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant, former W Series champion Jamie Chadwick and young Frenchman Mathys Jaubert.
This is before beginning the LMDh testing in the third quarter of 2025, for a two car WEC entry in 2026, and another two car entry in IMSA for 2027.
To streamline collaboration with ORECA and IDEC Sport, the newly formed endurance team will be permanently based in the south of France, specifically at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Abiteboul also teased the LMDh’s ICE, and explained to the media that it will be based on Hyundai’s WRC championship winning engine, though the rest of the details are yet to be disclosed.
Genesis will be the tenth manufacturer to be in the WEC grid by the time of their arrival in 2026, further cementing the golden era the sportscar racing series is currently in. Fans will be eager for their exciting arrival in just over 12 months time.
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