Less than eighteen months after announcing they would race at the world’s premier endurance event, Genesis Magma Racing took their place on the starting grid of the 24 Heures Le Mans. They had pulled off the near impossible, from no car at all to a finisher in 500 days. As the No. 19 GMR-001 crossed the finish line, the result was testimony to commitment, engineering excellence, and teamwork.
For over a century, there has been an annual pilgrimage to an otherwise inconsequential cathedral city in western France, where the world’s ultimate trial for a motor car takes place. Le Mans is ingrained into the folklore of racing, its Circuit de la Sarthe the place where speed, endurance and human nerve are tested to the edge of legend. The 94th running delivered everything the race traditionally promises strategy, heartbreak, heroism and a finish so tight it barely seemed possible after 24 hours.
Leading the grid in the early part of the race, the No 19 car in front of Aston Martin and Toyota. © Samuel Bassett @opticalwander.
The same perennial names were back on the grid, Ferrari, Ford, Peugeot, Aston Martin, Toyota, BMW, McLaren, Cadillac, and Alpine, who collectively hold over a quarter of all Le Mans victories. Genesis was competing against the weight of history itself.
Jacky Ickx, the doyen of the Le Mans crowd through the 1960s and 70s, six-time winner of the race, is now Genesis Brand Partner and Racing Advisor for Genesis Magma Racing. “I drove yesterday’s cars, and I drove the GMR three weeks ago, it’s another planet. It’s not comparable. Today’s Le Mans is F1 grand prix racing for 24 hours.”
At sunset, the No 17 GMR-001 car follows one of the LMP2 cars through the Ford chicane. © Samuel Bassett @opticalwander.
Genesis Magma Racing’s participation was not an idle decision. From spanners to supercomputers, the demands of fielding a competitive team have multiplied exponentially since Ford debuted at Le Mans sixty years ago. Team size, race strategy, car technology and telemetry have all driven expenditure upward. Current Hypercar regulations mean a two-car factory programme requires around US$50–100 million per season to be competitive, making Le Mans one of the most expensive stages in world motorsport, where experience is one of its most precious commodities.
Cyril Abiteboul, former Renault F1 Team Principal and now President of Hyundai Motorsport and Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing, understood the task ahead. “The first key element for success in a race programme like this is to emotionalise the brand, as well as the decision internally,” he notes. “We have to get people fired up about what we do.”
On the engineering side, the V8 turbocharged engine for the fiery magma-orange GMR cars was built by combining two of Hyundai’s 1.6-litre turbocharged inline-four WRC engines. Abiteboul was less worried about the engine itself: “We had no choice at times to buy existing commercial parts, and those elements are less race ready.”
The pit crew work swiftly to get Genesis Magma Racing lead car No 17 back out on the track. @ Samuel Bassett @opticalwander.
Despite this being only Genesis Magma’s third WEC entry, both GMR-001 Hypercars qualified in the top 10, taking sixth and ninth – a result that stunned veterans accustomed to rookie teams quietly finding their feet at the back of the grid. The race itself proved more sobering. The No.19 of Paul-Loup Chatin, Mathieu Jaminet and Dani Juncadella finished 13th after 372 laps, while the sister No.17 of Pipo Derani, Mathys Jaubert and André Lotterer retired after 16 hours with a suspension failure. As the No.19 crossed the line, it slowed and moved into the pit lane to acknowledge the crew. Remarkably, that car finished less than 1 percent behind the winning Toyota over 24 hours and still beat the No.2 Aston Martin.
The No.19 GMR-001 racing through the night on its way to 13th place overall © Samuel Bassett @opticalwander.
The first South Korean manufacturer ever to compete did so in spectacular fashion, arriving as underdogs and leaving as one of the weekend’s great revelations. Something genuinely exciting is being built at Le Castellet. Le Mans 2027 cannot come soon enough.
Ashley Andrew, President and CEO of Genesis and Hyundai Motor UK, commented, “Le Mans represents the pinnacle of performance, showcasing technology that translates to road cars, enhancing the brand’s reputation.” Peter Kronschnabl, Managing Director of Genesis Motor Europe, agreed that Genesis “aims to leverage their investments on the track, enhancing brand awareness, pushing boundaries, and informing future production.”
The ultimate goal is victory. Abiteboul sees it within touching distance: “The goal is 2030.”
Author: Andrew Hildreth
More about Genesis Magma Racing, HERE.
All images © Samuel Bassett @opticalwander.
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