Genesis Magma Racing is making its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut, becoming first South Korean manufacturer ever to compete in the famous endurance race.
The team enters a pair of GMR-001 Hypercars for the centerpiece event of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season. To mark the occasion, the team’s two cars will run in special livery returning to Magma Orange to red gradient design first shown at Le Mans last year on GMR-001 Hypercar show car in manufacturer village.
This milestone represents significant achievement for Genesis as it pursues competitive motorsports presence on world’s most prestigious endurance racing stage.
Preparation and Realistic Ambitions for Third Competition
Genesis Magma Racing approaches the race recognizing that 24 Hours of Le Mans is rigorous test of any team and car, particularly challenging for squad in its position—entering just its third-ever competition. The team has set humble ambitions focused on operational success. Immediate aim is for both cars to be recorded as classified finishers, requiring cars to complete 70% of total distance completed and be running at end of race.
This goal requires not only reliability from cars but also mistake-free performance from pit crew, making race an all-round test for team across technical and human factors.
Le Castellet Testing Program and Driver Experience
To complete its preparations, Genesis Magma Racing completed endurance test at Le Castellet. The test gave each of team’s drivers, including Official Reserve driver Jamie Chadwick, time at wheel of GMR-001 Hypercar. A night stint gave Paul-Loup Chatin his first laps in car in darkness, gaining his first experience of strong pool of light created by car’s Two-Line headlamps—a signature element of all Genesis designs.
Through endurance test experience, team continues to learn with each session completed. The team has implemented many small advances both technical and operational based on issues encountered in first two WEC rounds that will benefit team at Le Mans.
Previous WEC Performance and Momentum
Despite promising results in first two rounds of FIA World Endurance Championship, including first points finish at 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, team has reset expectations for its first start in season’s centerpiece event. This pragmatic approach reflects understanding of scale and demands specific to 24-hour racing format compared to sprint endurance format.
The Spa result demonstrated team’s capacity to score points and achieve competitive performance, providing foundation for Le Mans preparation while maintaining realistic outlook for debut.
Genesis Global Presence and Hospitality
For race weekend, Genesis Magma Racing will host guests from growing number of Genesis markets around the world, along with senior leadership across global organization. In addition to Genesis booth in Manufacturers’ Village, Genesis will have strong presence in paddock bringing to circuit a taste of its hospitality philosophy of treating every customer as “Son-nim,” or honored guest, at its global network of studios and showrooms.
This commitment reflects broader Genesis brand strategy integrating motorsports engagement with customer-focused values and global market expansion.