► Hyundai Group and Genesis’ WEC efforts kick off
► Genesis Magma Racing finished last in race one
► But that’s already better than early expectations
Which car manufacturers are Hyundai generally up against? Maybe Skoda, Ford, Peugeot, Toyota and Honda, sometimes Volvo, that ballpark. Yes, all true. But now it’s setting its sights much higher. Think BMW, Cadillac and Alpine. Think BMW and Porsche. Think Aston Martin. Think – no, really – Ferrari.
Sounds bonkers? Maybe. But this is the medium- to long-term-plan for Korea’s first team in the World Endurance Championship, Genesis Magma Racing. The idea is to stretch the Hyundai Group’s abilities to the maximum, and by doing well in racing improve its high-performance engineering abilities and help establish roadgoing Genesis cars – and the Magma project – in the thoughts of car enthusiasts.
It’s one hell of an ambition. If it were anyone else, we might be inclined to roll our eyeballs or snigger. But the Hyundai Group – Hyundai, Kia and, for the last 10 years, Genesis – has already achieved a great deal with its road cars, taking them upmarket and making some of them highly desirable. Don’t forget the difference World Rally Championship success made to Hyundai’s N division and the i20 N in particular.
In this context, finishing last and last but two in round one of the 2026 World Endurance Championship, held at Imola, was a success. The team had said all along that the aim for season one was to finish races.
Job done… although it didn’t look like a foregone conclusion when one of the two Genesis cars went into the pit garage just a few minutes after the start and stayed there for an ominously long time. The problem was eventually diagnosed as a dodgy sensor, and it was able to rejoin the six-hour race.
In the end a super-consistent Toyota won, ahead of the Ferrari that had started in pole position to the delight of the home crowd. The best Genesis GMR-001 finished – like most of the field – one lap behind the winner. The other car was 24 laps behind. But they both finished.
That was what the assembled Hyundai high-ups had flown halfway around the world to witness, joined for the weekend by the Korean ambassador to Italy.
Genesis Magma Racing chief engineer Justin Taylor was crystal clear: ‘The target this year is to finish races.’ Team principal Cyril Abiteboul – the former Renault/Alpine F1 team boss, pictured below left – was prepared to go slightly further: ‘Delivering on track is absolutely key. Today was always going to be about reliability and execution. Performance will come; top five later this year.’
The car is built to LMDh regulations, like most of the WEC field. That means the chassis and some other parts are provided by one of four approved suppliers – ORECA, in this case – whereas in the LMH class the whole car can be unique. The Genesis uses a turbocharged 3.2-litre V8. Like all the cars aside from the Aston Martins, it has a hybrid element.
GMR is based at Le Castellet, France, not far from ORECA’s HQ. Chassis and powertrain were first united last August for a run-out at Paul Ricard, followed by the first serious endurance test in Portugal in September. In all, 25,000km of high-speed track testing was conducted; one engine managed 9000km.
The team consists of 75 people of 16 nationalities, split between Le Castellet, Hyundai Motorsport in Offenbach and the tech centre in Fechenheim, which builds the engine.
You’ll have heard of some of those 75 people. As well as Taylor and Abiteboul, there’s varying degrees of involvement from Luc Donkerwolke, Genesis chief creative officer, touring car hero Gabriele Tarquini as sporting director, and all-round motorsport legend Jacky Ickx (pictured below) as racing advisor.
That sounds like a meaningless honorary role, until you see him in action: the drivers and crew hang on to his every word, and he makes them feel good about the all-consuming, sleep-wrecking, relationship-jeopardising project they’ve signed up for. Noting how much they’d gelled over the months, he says: ‘Everyone plays a huge role, with so much desire to do well. It’s a joy to be able to share in the human aspect.’
Everyone’s being hugely positive, while simultaneously making it clear that this isn’t just for fun – it has to deliver, sooner or later. Sean Lee, global head of Genesis, stresses synergies between Genesis’ road cars and Genesis Magma Racing. ‘It’s about the evolution of Genesis as a brand, not just about motorsport. GMR is a continuation of our brand, a new way to express who we are. It’s one ecosystem. It’s a platform to test our thinking, challenge our standards and stretch our identity.’
In similar vein, Genesis Europe boss Peter Kronschnabl says: ‘We’re stepping on to the highest level of motorsport. We are not following – we are challenging.’
Abiteboul says that the creation of the car should be an ongoing learning experience for the whole Hyundai group: ‘It’s important that we did it ourselves, rather than putting our branding on an existing project. We want to understand motorsport and bring high-performance culture to the company.’
And creative director Alberto Formento-Dojot adds: ‘It’s a clear statement of intent – that we belong in the elite of automotive brands. This year will be a learning experience, for the team and the brand. We are entering with a humble spirit, respecting the other teams and the series.’
And of course those other teams will all be trying their darndest to make life difficult for Genesis.
The next test of the race team comes at Spa, on the weekend of 7-9 May, for round two of the World Endurance Championship at Spa in Belgium. And then, in the middle of June, the big one: the Le Mans 24-hour race, the round that has a higher profile than the rest of the WEC season put together.
Later this year, the road car that should make sense of the project will go on sale, the Genesis GV60 Magma. ‘Finish last on Sunday, sell on Monday’ doesn’t sound quite right, but at least the concept that previewed it looks great. And, if the podium places don’t come in time, it won’t be for want of trying.
