Genesis’ first Le Mans race didn’t go as planned – but it turned out to be something big

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is widely considered to be the toughest race in motorsports – a relentless test of speed, reliability, strategy and stamina. This year, it also became the proving ground for genesis magma racingThe luxury automaker’s all-new factory team.

Just 18 months after announcing its entry into the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship, Genesis arrived at Le Mans with two GMR-001 hypercars, a list of accomplished drivers, and a goal that sounded simple but was anything but: survive the 24 hours and reach the finish line. I traveled to France to watch this great race first-hand and see first-hand how the ambitious newcomer would fare against some of the biggest names in motorsport.

What followed was a weekend of strong qualifying performances, overnight drama, mechanical failures and a hard-fought finish that highlighted both the challenges and potential of Genesis’ growing racing program.

Inside Magma Racing’s first 24-hour race

A screaming motor and a race car speeding down a turn are among my favorite things in life. But it had never occurred to me until this moment that this sweet pleasure could provide a utility by masking the noise made by that 2 a.m. cup of kimchi ramen. Perhaps a failure of imagination. Yet here I sit, ready for the night, with a paper box of noodle soup in hand, enjoying the view. 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the racers pinball over a pair of chicanes before a sequence of rapid left-right turns and enter the main straight, some fellow late-night spectators have taken seats not too far away, and French ramen etiquette is completely foreign to me. So I’m glad there’s a steady barrage of V-8 howls to cover my breakfast.

I came to the Circuit de Sarthe for a few reasons. First, seeing this great race in person for the first time, all the way, checking off the main item on your bucket list. Second, to bear witness of origin Entered motorsport with FIA World Endurance Championship race team.

It may seem long, but the brand is barely 11 years old. I’ve reviewed most of their models since the original G90 sedan… I had trouble with the navigation interface (it wasn’t idiot proof and I’m an idiot), but I thought it was mostly a great car. Since then, Genesis’ rise has been rapid – they now offer seven models in multiple powertrains, EV and ICE, with a hybrid on the way.

The brand sold a record 82,331 vehicles in the United States in 2025 (an increase of 10 percent year-over-year, marking five consecutive years of rising sales), and delivered more than 1.5 million vehicles worldwide since launch. Genesis recently opened its first dealerships in Italy, France and the Netherlands – followed by Spain, Austria, Denmark, Poland and Portugal. So it’s a bit like discovering an indie band’s debut album and watching them grow and develop into arena headliners. It appears to be a company with insatiable ambition and the corporate backing to achieve it, but endurance racing was definitely not on my bingo card.

Why did Genesis decide to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

So when, just 18 months ago, they announced the creation of genesis magma racing With the beginning of 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class, my jaw slid off the tarmac. After all, the brand doesn’t have a single sports car in its official lineup at the moment 2027 gv60 magmaWhich is both a CUV and not available yet. (The brand used Le Mans as a stage to drop two stunning, potential speed demons Magma GT and GT3 conceptsWhich may very well end up in production. fingers crossed!)

Of course, motorsport bestows prestige on an automaker, and competing at Le Mans is one of the most prestigious automotive competitions in the world. Run well there and you can attract the attention and desire of customers. In other words, it’s a huge marketing investment.

but according to jose munozAn engineer by training and chairman-CEO of Hyundai Motor Company (Genesis’s corporate parent), there are other reasons for the brand to embrace endurance racing. “We don’t do this just to have a good time,” says Munoz, with a focus on building better cars with stronger appeal. “It’s a lot of resources. But basically, it allows us to understand the technology, the trends and then the direction.”

He also sees a parallel with endurance racing and their broader automotive business. “In a 24-hour race where anything can happen, the team needs to be comfortable supporting each other and finding creative solutions to win,” he says. “This is a perfect analogy for how we are managing uncertainty and focusing on delivering exceptional vehicles, technology and service for our customers.”

Yet another argument for Genesis to adopt the track. Part of the brand’s ethos is built on its proud Korean heritage. sihyeok leeThe senior vice president and global head of Genesis says it is an incredibly proud moment to compete as the first South Korean manufacturer at Le Mans. “This reflects progress not only for Genesis, but for Korea’s place in global motorsport,” he says. “And it reflects our belief that innovation, performance and cultural identity can come together to create something meaningful.”

Inside the Genesis GMR-001 hypercar

So with the pedal to the metal, the team, led by the team principal cyril abiteboulDeveloped and produced a pair of GMR-001 hypercars. Unique design by Genesis built around a carbon fiber monocoque with input from the team’s chassis partners oreca. The graceful lines of the creation include the brand’s signature two-line headlamps, a hallmark of their road cars. However, the lights have been boosted with additional lumens for night racing conditions.

Inside, the track monsters are powered by the Genesis G8MR 3.2l turbo V8, which in essence is a pair of Hyundai Motorsport in-line 4-cylinder engines from their FIA World Rally Championship racers. The car also uses a rear-mounted 50 kW hybrid motor to produce a total of 680 horsepower.

Of course GMR had to find and hire drivers for this discovery Mathieu Jaminet, Paul-Loup Chatin as well as Daniel Juncadella Whereas, to pilot No. 19 GMR-001 andre lotterer, Luis Felipe “Pipo” DeraniAnd mathis joubert They were offered seats on the No. 17 race machine.

To mark the debut of the twin GMR-001 as the South Korean manufacturer’s first machine to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Genesis created a special livery in the team’s signature magma orange with red gradient flourishes.

How Genesis Magma Racing prepared for its Le Mans debut

Building a race car and team in any period of time is a difficult task. team principal cyril abiteboul It is said that it took practicality to get everything track-ready in one and a half years. The team also set modest goals heading into Le Mans. “Despite a good start to the WEC season, we have to be realistic in our expectations,” Abiteboul said before the race started. The team set the dual goals of having both of its cars classified as finishers, meaning completing 70 percent of the final total race distance – as well as racing the pair at the end of the competition.

In the first two races before Le Mans, the GMR team showed solid progress. Both of the team’s cars finished in the bottom three at the start of the season. 6 hours of imola. In Belgium, GMR improved and scored points by finishing eighth (as well as 13th) 6 Hours of Spa-FrancorchampsProving your ability and ability to compete.

Ahead of its first 24-hour event, GMR tested itself at the team’s base in Le Castellet, France, and Circuit Paul Ricard Giving each driver on the team more time to drive the GMR-001 hypercar. From that experience and other sessions the team identified flaws in both its technical and operational systems and made some major and minor changes. The adjustments helped his race at Le Mans. Both cars qualified in the top 10 for the event. Paul-Loup Chatin and André Lotterer qualified the cars seventh and 10th in the final session and their starting positions improved to sixth and ninth after one of the Cadillacs failed to follow pit lane starting procedure and received a penalty.

What happened during the Genesis’ first 24 Hours of Le Mans

It was time to leave the next day at 4 pm. When the lights turned green, neither Genesis car was off to a good start. But soon both cars found their groove and set to work maintaining efficiency and reliability to reach the finish line… and maybe even a few constructors’ points in the championship.

The team remained there till morning. Mathieu Jaminet at No. 19 and Mathis Joubert at No. 17 both completed the quadruple stint. Jaminet managed to improve his car’s track position several times to fourth place.

As the lap fell, under the starless, late-night sky, I was working on my Le Mans goal – to see the whole thing. there is a motor vehicle ring cycle It’s happening right in front of me, rendered in a mix of steel, carbon fiber and rubber to match the engine song. Why would I miss him?

But no amount of spicy broth or espresso could stop him from coming. The jet lag that came with being on my feet all day and walking thousands of steps had made me pass out. I am tired. With every bite the steel chopsticks and my sun-kissed eyelashes got a little heavier. I told myself to suck it up. But ultimately…zzzzzzzz.

I woke up to the news that at about 4 a.m. Chaitin, in the No. 19 car, had to stop at the track to run a power cycle before coming back into the race. The issue resurfaced, dashing hopes of a top 10 finish. Shortly afterwards the No. 17 car experienced a catastrophic suspension failure with Joubert at the wheel, and was forced to retire.

What Genesis learned from its first Le Mans race

With a little luck and a lot of teamwork, GMR managed to bring the limping No. 19 car across the finish line in 13th place, four laps behind the winning Toyota entry driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Nick de Vries and Mike Conway. That result may have been half of what the team wanted before the race started but it certainly could have been worse.

Abiteboul finally got a ray of meaningful hope. “We faced a number of reliability challenges, which will be our priority moving forward,” he says. “Despite this, the car showed strong potential throughout the week, especially during the first half of the race, where we were consistently competing inside the top 10.”

Jaminet described the team’s first visit to Le Mans as a rollercoaster. “But that’s what you expect in your first 24 hours as a new team, a new car,” the driver said. “But no one ever gave up. We made history. The first Korean brand to make it to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a first for Genesis.”

What’s next for Genesis Magma Racing?

In less than a month from now, the WEC is headed to Brazil Rolex Six Hours of Sao Paulo. The GMR team will come with more experience under their helmet and better performance data in hand. Sadly I will be watching remotely on a laptop in Italy to see if they can have a better race and finish. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have much trouble covering the distance, but Ramon is already packed.