A new team is taking on endurance racing with the launch of Genesis Magma Racing, the company's first "major milestone" in motorsports.
According to a press release, the newly launched team will compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) starting with the 2026 season and will then head to the United States in 2027 to compete in the IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA).
Genesis Magma Racing will compete in prestigious events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. The teams will compete in the Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) class, which features sports prototype race cars.
The new team will work hand-in-hand with Hyundai Motorsports while making this move into endurance racing. Hyundai Motorsports President Cyril Abiteboul will serve as Team Principal for Genesis Magma Racing.
"This entry into motorsport is a natural evolution for Genesis," said Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis, in a statement.
"As we look to push the boundaries of our brand, motorsport allows us to bring the spirit of hyperspeed -- which drives how we create and innovate -- in a way that aligns perfectly with our core values: Audacious, Progressive, and Distinctly Korean."
Genesis Magma Racing made multiple other announcements while revealing its move into endurance racing. The team unveiled its GMR-001 Hypercar, a race car focusing on Genesis' minimalist design principles. Genesis Design Europe led the development with Donckerwolke providing guidance.
Genesis (📸) will be the 5th team @Andre_Lotterer has competed with in #WEC (Audi, Porsche LMP1 Team, Porsche Penske), and @PipoDerani's 4th team (Glickenhaus, Action Express), whilst both have achieved overall podium finishes in Oreca-built chassis during time with Rebellion. pic.twitter.com/Pzkp0PFqI7
— WEC Stats (@WECDATA) December 4, 2024
Genesis Magma Racing also revealed its first drivers. The team will turn to André Lotterer and Luis "Pipo" Derani in 2025 as the duo conducts simulator sessions and takes on technical development duties. Lotterer and Derani will serve as the team's WEC drivers during the 2026 season.
While the new team will not compete in WEC until 2026 or IMSA until 2027, it will make the move into another series in 2025. Genesis Magma Racing will join forces with IDEC Sport to field an LMP2 entry in the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
The team will feature three drivers, headlined by former F1 competitor Logan Sargeant. He will become teammates with Jamie Chadwick and 19-year-old Mathys Jaubert while taking on the ELMS schedule.