New FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar contender Genesis Magma Racing has finalised its driver line-up ahead of its forthcoming debut in the series next March, as the Korean marque majors on experience for its maiden campaign at the international pinnacle of the discipline.
Double world champion André Lotterer and two-time IMSA title-holder ‘Pipo’ Derani were announced as part of the programme late last year, with multiple European Le Mans Series race-winners Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert subsequently joining the two-car effort in September. The final two names have now completed the set – Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin.
Both drivers boast substantial pedigree at the highest levels of endurance racing. Chatin has 15 starts under his belt in FIA WEC’s headlining Hypercar category, and was part of the victorious Alpine crew in September’s 6 Hours of Fuji – the championship’s milestone 100th race.
The Frenchman will bring with him significant development knowledge of the ORECA chassis that forms the basis of Genesis’ GMR-001 prototype, and is a familiar face to both Juncadella and Jaubert, having piloted the sister IDEC Sport entry to the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory Programme members’ car in ELMS throughout 2025.
“I’m truly honoured and proud to join the Genesis Magma Racing adventure in Hypercar,” enthused the three-time ELMS title-winner and 2023 IMSA LMP2 champion. “First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible. After two enriching years with Alpine Endurance Team and the recent success at Fuji, I feel more ready than ever to take on this new challenge.
“Genesis is still a young brand, but its values and ambitions immediately resonated with me and I have full confidence in our team’s talent and determination to quickly move forward and fight for top positions.”
Countryman Jaminet has become a stalwart of worldwide endurance racing paddocks, initially in the GT classes before graduating to the top-tier in both FIA WEC and IMSA in recent seasons. The 31-year-old was crowned champion in the North American series’ GTD Pro division in 2022 and lifted the overall laurels with Porsche Penske Motorsport at GTP level this year, reaching the rostrum six times in nine races and triumphing at Laguna Seca.
Jaminet has contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans on four occasions to-date – once in LMGTE Pro and three times in Hypercar. He turned his first laps behind the wheel of the GMR-001 during its latest test at MotorLand Aragon in Spain earlier this month, offering the benefit of his feedback as the team took a major step forward in confirming the car’s reliability.
“I’m very happy to be joining Genesis Magma Racing,” the Moselle native commented. “This is the start of a new chapter for me. I wanted to have a fresh start with new people to try to step up, but also to bring my experience and work to build something incredible for the future. Obviously, the road will be long with a new team, but I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“I had to adapt a little bit [in the test]. The car requires a different driving style compared to what I’m used to. It seems to like big corners, and it’s actually quite nice. At this stage, every lap is really important for a driver – you need to understand all the systems, all the buttons on the steering wheel and all the procedures.
“I tried to not get too much feedback from the other drivers – I really wanted to start from a blank sheet of paper and form my own opinion, also for the engineers. I’m one of the most experienced drivers with LMDh cars and obviously I was in a different car not long ago, and I think I come in with a different perspective on a few things.”
The drivers’ performance and the internal dynamics will now be assessed by Genesis Magma Racing’s senior management – led by Sporting Director Gabriele Tarquini and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul – to determine the exact composition of its two Hypercar crews for 2026.
As the Paul Ricard-based outfit embarks upon its final preparations in anticipation of its competitive bow in Qatar next March, both men are confident that the new recruits will further strengthen Genesis’ stable of driving talent.
“The addition of Mathieu and Paul-Loup completes a well-balanced line-up for our debut season in FIA WEC,” commented Tarquini. “They are the perfect point between the experience we have in André and Pipo, and the potential we see in Mathys and Dani.
“The chemistry between drivers in the car is vital when it comes to success. Through the tests, we can see how they work together, how their driving styles and set-up preferences match, and how the relationships begin to form before deciding our line-ups for the season. The key will be to make sure we have the best possible squad in both cars to help us to create the strong foundations we need as a team.”
“We have an amazing line-up for Genesis Magma Racing’s first year in the FIA World Endurance Championship,” echoed Abiteboul. “The combination of drivers that we have secured far exceeds any expectation we had when we began this journey.
“It is a huge mark of the trust that these race-winners and champions have placed in our young team, Genesis and the broader Hyundai Motor Group. I am sure they will create huge motivation and a virtuous circle for a project that is coming together very nicely.”
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