Genesis Magma Racing entered esports and sim racing for the first time with GMR Esports launch. The expansion into esports is a key part of Genesis’ goal to increase brand awareness and Genesis Magma Racing recognition among diverse audiences, including further raising the team’s profile in South Korea.
The team will compete in official esports events organized on the series’ official game, Le Mans Ultimate, developed by Motorsport Games, including Online Championships, World Endurance Championship Special Events, and future official esports competitions.
GMR Esports will support Genesis Magma Racing’s work by competing in virtual models of the same GMR-001 Hypercar from the WEC, carrying similar distinctive livery as their on-track counterparts. The team’s event presence will help expand Genesis brand awareness outside traditional motorsport audiences, just as Genesis Magma Racing aims to expand the manufacturer’s following with its performance-oriented image and approach.
Team Principal Outlines Strategic Objectives
Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul stated GMR is a large project and they want to be successful everywhere they compete, including with GMR Esports. The creation of GMR Esports makes the team, GMR-001 Hypercar, and Genesis brand more accessible to wider audiences, with driver success in online competition complementing the race team’s on-track work.
Abiteboul continued that esports is increasingly becoming an entry point to motorsport, making Genesis and Genesis Magma Racing representation there very important. Esports provides a gateway for would-be drivers to develop talents, prove themselves to teams in official events, and build professional racing careers. If GMR Esports and work with Le Mans Ultimate can provide a route for new drivers and fans, they can take that as positive, on top of event results.
The launch builds on Genesis Magma Racing’s existing partnership with Motorsport Games, with Le Mans Ultimate branding featured on the GMR-001 Hypercar. This collaboration has enabled the GMR-001 Hypercar to be brought to Le Mans Ultimate ahead of its first competitive outing, giving fans early opportunity to experience the car and underlining shared commitment to authenticity.
Seven-Driver Roster Combines Virtual and Real-World Experience
GMR Esports comprises seven drivers—six main drivers and one reserve, similar to the Genesis Magma Racing FIA World Endurance Championship team makeup. The esports drivers mix European and Korean talent, blending proven professional virtual racing and real-world experience, including competing in some of the world’s biggest races.
Dutchman Collin Spork leads the team. A former Formula Sim Racing World Champion and Virtual Endurance World Championship winner in the Hypercar category, Spork combines elite-level sim racing with ongoing work supporting professional race teams as Simulation and Development Driver. He brings strong focus on detail and collaboration, helping translate simulator learning into actionable performance gains.
Spork also takes on technical and development lead within the team. He stated the program is about more than results—it’s about building a team that can push GMR-001 Hypercar limits in the virtual world and feed that learning back into everything Genesis Magma Racing stands for. Le Mans Ultimate gives them a platform rewarding detail, discipline, and teamwork, exactly the environment they want to develop in.
Further leadership comes from Nissan GT Academy alumni Jesper Pedersen and Slovenian Jernej Simončič, two of endurance sim racing’s most established competitors. Pedersen is an Endurance eRacing World Champion and Virtual Endurance Championship Division 1 GT3 champion, and Le Mans Virtual Bahrain 8 Hours overall winner. Alongside his esports record, the Dane brings real-world experience including Formula Ford and national endurance racing.
Simončič has built a reputation as one of global esports’ standout drivers, with multiple Formula Sim Racing World Championship titles and a record of winning at the highest level across formats, including major LAN finals. He also brings proven endurance credentials highlighted by podium finishes in virtual editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and front-running Virtual Endurance Championship results.
Korean Drivers Connect Team with Domestic Market
Genesis Magma Racing’s esports expansion provides a new avenue to connect with its growing Korean audience. Abiteboul stated GMR Esports and Genesis Magma Racing will work together to achieve shared goals. There is no WEC round in the country, but esports are very popular in South Korea. GMR Esports gives them a new key way to engage with Korean audiences, making Genesis Magma Racing, Genesis, and motorsport far more accessible to new fans they aim to create.
Taking advantage of strong talent in the country, four South Korean drivers were selected for GMR Esports lineup: Hyukjin Kwon, Gyumin Kim, and Youngchan Kim. All three have virtual racing experience, including representing South Korea in FIA Motorsport Games esports disciplines, where Gyumin Kim claimed Bronze Medal in F4 class. All three drivers are also Hyundai N Festival race series regulars.
Hyukjin was a four-time race winner in the N2 class of Hyundai N Festival last year. Gyumin is a former N1 class champion, the series’ highest category, having claimed the 2024 title before Youngchan secured last season’s championship. Gyumin and Youngchan’s success led them onto the international stage: in 2025, Gyumin debuted in the U.S.-based TC America series, while both drivers became Nürburgring 24 Hours regulars where they will make their third and second starts respectively next week.
Reserve Driver Rokyeong Kang, a 17-year-old rising talent, completes the team. With experience in virtual competition such as Hyundai N Virtual Cup, Kang also gained real-world race experience in Hyundai N Festival, including N1 class competition where he secured N1 Club category victory last season. He is viewed as a high-potential prospect for the program’s future.