Genesis has completed the build and engine start-up of the first GMR-001 Hypercar on the roadmap to debut in the 2026 FIA WEC season.

The next manufacturer to join the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Hypercar category successfully conducted its first build and start-up on target with their programme timeline.

They conducted the first engine start-up in February and unveiled their orange and red ‘magma’ livery adorning their two Genesis GMR-001 Hypercars next year.

“In a project like this, you have certain dates circled and this was one of them,” said team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

“The car fire-up was the GMR-001 coming to life — a huge step in the story of Genesis Magma Racing.

“To reach this point on schedule is already a huge achievement and a perfect way to start the next stage of the development process.”

Since the February start-up, the engine has undergone months of work on the dyno testing performance and efficiency.

Work began on this build immediately after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which Genesis entered in LMP2 in their ongoing partnership with IDEC Sport.

Testing development stage next for Genesis Hypercar

It took place at Oreca’s workshop, their chassis partner, close to the location of Genesis Magma Racing’s Race Base and Circuit Paul Ricard. Oreca’s experienced technicians worked with mechanics and engineers from Genesis Magma Racing during the process.

The WRC-derived 3.2L twin-turbo V8 engine ran through a rev range in each of the seven gears during the fire-up.

Engineers also tested the car’s Bosch LMDh specification hybrid system, charging the batteries from the engine and then directing the energy to the rear driveshafts.

Genesis Magma Racing’s Technical Director, FX Demaison, said: “The car build has been about bringing everything together – all the expertise we have within Genesis Magma Racing and at Oreca.”

“It’s now when we can start physically connecting all the different strands of development work that we’ve been following for the last year with our Powertrain and Design teams.

“The successful GMR-001 fire-up is confirmation of our work so far, but also the start of the next stage of the development that comes with testing.”

The first on-track running is on schedule to take place at the end of next month, August, as Genesis refines the development before the homologation stage in anticipation of 2026.

READ MORE – Hyundai targets Genesis Hypercar effort for 2026 WEC

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Genesis Magma Racing are readying their crew members and drivers for the 93rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with LMP2 team IDEC Sport.

Amidst a European Le Mans Series campaign partnership, Genesis is establishing the groundwork in their new LMDh programme ahead of their 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season debut.

Included within the WEC schedule is the historic Le Mans 24 Hours, and this year will provide team members, as well as two of IDEC Sport’s three drivers, a maiden opportunity to appreciate the event for the first time before Genesis sets about competing for the overall win next year.

Another Genesis driver will join Le Mans rookies Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert, three-time WEC (and reigning) champion and Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer, in the #18 Oreca 07 LMP2 against 16 other class competitors.

Daniel Juncadella, who won the opening two ELMS rounds with Chadwick and Jaubert, will race with his WEC team TF Sport in the LMGT3 category.

Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal, Cyril Abiteboul, explained: “It is a chance for our team members in our Trajectory programme to feel the atmosphere and excitement unique to Le Mans to be ready to perform in 2026. 

“They will be able to see first-hand the extremely busy and competitive environment Genesis Magma Racing is stepping into and understand more of what is needed for a strong execution next year.”

Hyundai will likely update further about the ongoing development process of the GMR-001 Hypercar ahead of the race on 14-15 June.

Sharing their story at Le Mans

“We are developing the GMR-001 Hypercar and building the team for next year,” added Abiteboul. 

“At Le Mans, we can share our story and that of the Genesis brand, as well as our rapid progress as a team, with the information and full-scale model to the passionate fans who attend the race.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a key point in the year for Genesis Magma Racing,” Abiteboul summarised. 

“It is the biggest endurance racing event of the season and a major part of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where we will be racing with the GMR-001 Hypercar in 2026. 

“The 2025 event starts our countdown – 365 days until the next [Le Mans] 24 hours.”

READ MORE – Jamie Chadwick ready to soak in first Le Mans experience

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Check out the angles on the Genesis Magma Racing orange and red livery adorned on their new GMR-001 Hypercar set to compete in 2026.

The global livery unveiling took place ahead of the New York International Auto Show, confirming the unique branding and appearance for the team.

Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis, said: “The GMR-001 Hypercar, like every race car, is a sculpture designed by the constraints of efficiency and performance, combined with the design DNA of Genesis – the brand with the Two Lines.

“The livery captures the distinctly Korean character of the brand, with gradients from Magma Orange to dark red emphasising the high temperature of the powertrain.

“The colour gradients from light to dark of the Magma writing in Hangeul is an optical doppler effect that expresses the glorious sound of the V8 twin turbo engine in motion.”

“Today marks a significant milestone for Genesis Magma Racing as we unveil the GMR-001 Hypercar, along with our striking livery and race suits,” added Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of Genesis Magma Racing.

“”As we gear up for our 2026 WEC and 2027 IMSA campaigns, we are not merely assembling a race team; we are forging a legacy.

“Each day brings us one step closer to realising the full potential of Genesis in the world of motorsport.”

READ MORE: Genesis confirms Hypercar engine start-up amidst livery reveal

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Genesis Magma Racing has confirmed their start-up of their GMR-001 LMDh car’s engine, in late February, following their recent livery reveal.

Their red and orange Hypercar is powered by a 3.2L twin-turbo V8 engine with origins to the Hyundai World Rally Championship engine.

The Genesis powertrain is derived from the WRC inline four-cylinder motor – sharing up to 60% of components – to create an eight-cylinder internal combustion engine (ICE).

With the chassis developed in partnership with Oreca, the ICE will pair with the LMDh specification Bosch electric hybrid technology to finalise a hybrid petrol-electric powertrain.

“The I4 engine is a very, very sophisticated, very efficient engine,” said Hyundai Motorsport technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison.

“It’s a proper race engine, so it’s a very good base for developing an engine for WEC.

“Rallying is a sort of endurance race, so for an engine to the 24 Hours of Le Mans it’s a good place to start from.

“With the time we had available to develop the engine we immediately knew we did not have 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 kilometres, and the I4 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 4-cylinder engine.”

Work began on the engine’s design in June 2024 and was completed four months later with the first engine assembled in early 2025 prior to this scheduled fire-up.

The start-up signifies a key point in the timeline in preparation for their 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class debut.

READ MORE: McLaren announce long-awaited WEC Hypercar programme

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Daniel Juncadella has joined the IDEC Sport LMP2 European Le Mans Series programme which runs in partnership with Genesis’ LMDh preparation.

The recent Qatar 1812 km LMGT3 race winner will take the place of former Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant, who recently parted ways with the project.

Juncadella will co-drive the #18 Oreca 07 LMP2 with Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert, meanwhile Genesis LMDh development driver Andre Lotterer will compete in their #18 Oreca at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14-15 June.

This is because Juncadella will fulfil his full-time FIA World Endurance Championship seat in the #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

The 33-year-old Spaniard will compete at Le Mans which is the fourth round on the 2025 WEC schedule, though it is unclear yet whether Juncadella will continue in pursuit of a Hypercar seat next year.

“I’m really happy to join IDEC Sport and Genesis Magma Racing,” said Juncadella.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to make my debut in the ELMS with such an experienced team.

“Although I’m currently racing in GT3, I already have experience in LMP2 from the 24 Hours of Daytona.

“I’m confident the team will help me settle in quickly.

“My single-seater background also gives me useful references to handle the aerodynamics.

“I want to thank the entire team for this trust.

“I’m looking forward to starting work with them, and that starts this week.”

Le Mans mentioned ‘from the beginning’ for Lotterer

The reigning WEC Hypercar champion joined the Genesis LMDh programme after departing the Porsche Penske project last year.

The three-time Le Mans winner will take on his 13th start at the historic race later this summer.

“This opportunity was discussed from the beginning of our collaboration, but the priority was always the drivers from the ‘Trajectory’ programme.

“Ultimately, Logan’s withdrawal gives me the chance to return to Le Mans and bring my experience to this young team.

“The car looks very competitive. I’ve already spoken with Mathys and Jamie, and we will form a strong trio.

“Thanks to Genesis Magma Racing and IDEC Sport for this opportunity.

“Racing at Le Mans is always special, and this experience will also help me stay sharp for the rest of the season.”

Cyril Abiteboul, President of Hyundai Motorsport, added: “This is a logical choice. Andre has immense experience and has already won the event three times.

“He is part of the Genesis Magma Racing family since he will race with us in Hypercar next year.

“This participation allows him to get familiar with the team, engineers, and mechanics this year while bringing his invaluable expertise from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

READ MORE: LMGT3 winner Daniel Juncadella admits ‘a lot of pressure’ in Qatar

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Logan Sargeant has parted ways with IDEC Sport and Genesis Magma Racing, with the French squad saying he’s leaving to “pursue other interests”.

Former F1 driver Sargeant had signed up to race in the European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport this year, alongside Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert. Furthermore, he was in line for a seat in Genesis’s FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme next year.

But, it seems he’s chosen to step away from both this year’s LMP2 drive and next year’s Hypercar seat. A statement from IDEC Sport read:

“Following the decision of Logan Sargeant to stepping away from the sport to pursue other interests, IDEC SPORT and Genesis Magma Racing are taking note of his decision and will announce his substitute in the next few days.

“We wish Logan all the best in his future projects.”

It is not yet clear whether “stepping away from the sport” meant motorsport in general, or just the immediate ELMS series.

Sergeant raced in F1 for a year and a half, with the Williams team, scoring a single point at his home race, the United States Grand Prix, in 2023. He retained his seat in 2024 but was dropped after the Dutch Grand Prix for Franco Colapinto, who subsequently went on to score five points in his remaining nine races in the year.

Motorsport Week has reached out to both IDEC Sport and Genesis Magma Racing, and will update if we hear back.

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Cyril Abiteboul described the ‘balance’ the FIA World Endurance Championship holds for its brands as head of the new Genesis Hypercar project.

The team principal of Genesis Magma Racing complimented the competitive WEC environment with his newfound role on the Hyundai-Genesis Hypercar effort.

Genesis will enter two GMR-001 LMDh cars in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season, utilising an Oreca-developed chassis.

The former Renault Formula 1 team principal spoke in a 20-minute interview published on the WEC YouTube channel, on the back of leading Hyundai to drivers’ championship glory in the FIA World Rally Championship.

“I think right now, the momentum that FIA WEC is enjoying is absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“It’s clearly a perfect balance of brands and cost control, of differentiation and also some form of standardisation of technology.

“What we really want to be focused on is developing the brand and developing people.

“We feel that the combination that FIA WEC has achieved in the current cycle enables us to really bring our story about aesthetic design out there.

“We’ve got the ability to do that. So that’s one thing – gaining the brand exposure that we need.

“Then, on the other side, people. For sure, technology matters in the automotive industry, but technology is enabled by people.

“That’s why one of the decisions that we’ve made is to operate the cars ourselves in FIA WEC.

“The reason we want to do that is precisely because we want to maximise the authority that we will have over the racing cars with engineers, with mechanics, with technicians.”

Utilising an LMP2 campaign and WRC experience

The WEC features a diverse selection of eight manufacturers alone in the Hypercar category.

Reigning WEC Hypercar champion Andre Lotterer joins Pipo Derani as fully confirmed drivers so far.

Although, IDEC Sport are fielding three more talents in the form of ex-F1 Williams driver Logan Sargent, Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert in the European Le Mans Series.

The team will run an Oreca 07 which has been the go-to LMP2 platform for teams globally.

Abiteboul continued: “We will have a strategic partnership over the course of 2025 with IDEC Sport, leveraging their LMP2 platform to put some of our staff and some of our potential development drivers in ELMS.

“So we will be out there somewhere.

“You will see some drivers in Genesis colours as well as some technicians, engineers and mechanics because they will be learning what endurance is about and what the challenges are in the sport, so that they can bring that expertise into our future WEC team in 2026.

“I’ve seen mechanics in F1 and I’ve seen mechanics in rallying, and what probably makes the world of rallying a bit closer to endurance is the fact that when your car is coming back to the service park in rallying, you have absolutely no idea what you’ll have to fix, injecting a bit of ‘dealing with the unknown and managing the unexpected’ – but what you do know is that you’ll have a very short period of time to fix it.

“You’re never going to think about changing a turbocharger in Formula 1, but that’s definitely the sort of thing you have to do in a very limited amount of time in a very controlled manner [in rallying and endurance racing], ensuring reliability and perfection of execution.”

READ MORE: WEC releases 2025 provisional entry list featuring newcomers

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