Genesis Magma Racing is keeping its expectations firmly in-check as it prepares to take on the biggest challenge of its endurance racing journey so far next weekend, in the shape of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June). But could the first Korean brand ever to compete at La Sarthe spring a surprise?
Since its launch in late 2024, there is no doubt that the ‘new kid on the grid’ has had a mountain to climb, joining the FIA World Endurance Championship’s headlining Hypercar class during the most fiercely-contested era in living memory. And that timing is not coincidental – behind Genesis’ humble approach lies a serious and steely long-term plan to showcase its strength.
Going up against more established rivals in the form of Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Toyota, the premium arm of major automotive marque Hyundai has not just embarked upon its maiden campaign in endurance racing, but indeed its maiden campaign in any form of motorsport, which only serves to make its achievements to-date all the more commendable.
Notwithstanding the inevitable teething troubles faced by any newcomer – particularly at such a high level – Genesis got both of its cars to the finish line in the curtain-raising contest at Imola, and repeated the feat in round two at Spa-Francorchamps last month.
More significantly still, a smart strategy and solid performance in the Ardennes saw the #17 GMR-001 prototype piloted by André Lotterer, ‘Pipo’ Derani and Mathys Jaubert take the chequered flag in an excellent eighth position, after the Brazilian artfully fended off the #12 Cadillac, #8 Toyota and #36 Alpine towards the end despite struggling on distinctly second-hand tyres.
The previous day, Mathieu Jaminet in the sister #19 entry had carried Genesis closer to the outright benchmark time in qualifying than at Imola – around a lap more than two kilometres longer – and in the race, only the #93 Peugeot, #007 Aston Martin and pace-setting BMWs lapped faster than Jaubert, offering further reasons for encouragement.
It goes without saying that at four times the duration of either Imola or Spa, Le Mans is a different beast altogether. It is a race of attrition, in which steering clear of drama is invariably every bit as important as out-and-out speed. Although it will mark just Genesis’ third outing, that ‘survival of the fittest’ element could actually play in the team’s favour, as one of only four Hypercar manufacturers to travel to La Sarthe boasting a 100 per cent finishing record thus far in 2026.
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the highlight of the year for every single team and driver,” mused Jaminet. “I always feel it is a very special event, especially being French and having a lot of fans there – you get to feel a bit like a rockstar for a few days!
“Looking at the first two races, we know the GMR-001 Hypercar has great potential, but we’ve had small problems here and there that the team has been pushing flat-out to solve so we can be as prepared as possible. Seeing the chequered flag without any issues would be a bit of a win, and if we manage that, we should also have a bit of pace to challenge some other cars, so let’s see where we end up.”
“We were not expecting the result we had at Spa, and we want to keep our feet on the ground to make sure we tackle Le Mans with humility,” added Derani. “It’s by far the biggest challenge we’ve had so far, but as we’ve already proved, we are ready for any task – regardless of how difficult it is, we throw ourselves in. We want to gather as much experience as possible to make the GMR-001 a better package, and any result we achieve will be a bonus.”
To find out how Genesis gets on at Le Mans, make sure you tune into FIAWEC+. Every session of race week – from Free Practice through Qualifying and Hyperpole to the full 24-hour race – will be streamed live and on-demand, ad-free, so you never have to choose between watching and waiting.
With live on-board cameras, Live Timing Pro, real-time data and full race replays, FIAWEC+ brings you closer to Le Mans than any broadcast can, putting viewers at the heart of every strategy call, every overtake and every moment that shapes the result – keeping you up-to-speed from lights-out right the way through to the chequered flag.
