Dream LMP2 debut for Genesis in Barcelona

In the build-up to Genesis Magma Racing’s 2026 FIA WEC Hypercar debut, last week proved to be hugely significant. On Thursday it showcased the GMR-001 concept model on home soil in Korea at the Seoul Mobility Show, then went on to claim a stunning maiden LMP2 class win with its preparatory European Le Mans Series effort on Sunday afternoon in Spain.

Partnered up with French ELMS title-winning team IDEC Sport, the delegation of Hyundai/Genesis staff new to sportscar racing, plus three LMP2 rookie drivers, showed that the young automotive brand means business in its first foray into racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The nine staffers from Hyundai’s side inserted into the team gelled well with IDEC’s engineers and gained plenty of experience through the generous amount of track time on offer in Spain. There were no major hiccups during the two days of testing and through practice. The No. 18 Gibson-powered prototype completed 428 laps (1, 992 kilometres) before qualifying got underway.

The drivers are already relishing the experience too, in the knowledge that should they become indispensable, on track and off, there’s every chance they will find themselves testing the GMR-001 Hypercar during its developmental phase and/or – should the stars align – racing the car in 2026 or 2027 as part of the factory roster.

Three-time W Series Champion and Indy NXT race winner Jamie Chadwick and 20-year-old Porsche single-make standout Mathys Jaubert are in for the season and under evaluation as part of the brand’s ‘Trajectory Program’. They’re joined by Corvette factory driver Daniel Juncadella, a late addition to the crew in the wake of ex-F1 driver Logan Sargeant’s sudden exit from the sport.

“It’s an absolute no-brainer to be part of this,” Chadwick told RACER after practice.

“This program is more than just racing here in ELMS. It’s an opportunity to work with Genesis and its factory drivers Pipo (Derani) and Andre (Lotterer) and work across the development of the car and simulator work.

“It’s an experience that we hope will make us ready for an opportunity when the team goes through the transition to Hypercar. The goal is to get behind the wheel of the Hypercar at some point, whether that’s in a straight-line test or any chance.”

Ahead of the race, Chadwick and the team were keen to play down expectations. “We just want to get through this weekend, see where we are at and review it,” Chadwick said. “Then we can analyze how competitive we are.”

But it didn’t take the 26-year-old Briton, nor her teammates, much time at all to make an impact in their first prototype starts. On race day, up against stiff competition from the other 12 cars in the LMP2 class – and the additional eight ORECAs entered in LMP2 Pro/Am – all three played their part in the breakthrough result.

Chadwick took the start and kept it clean, allowing Juncadella, on home soil, to haul the No. 18 into contention for the closing stages. That left Jaubert – a Silver-ranked driver – to finish the job in the final two stints up against a suite of Gold and Platinum racers.

In one of the most spectacular prototype debuts of recent times, the Frenchman fended off Alpine factory driver Charles Milesi and found a way through to the overall lead after a restart, passing Derani in traffic with just under an hour remaining.

“After the Safety Car everyone was fighting, but it’s very, very hard to overtake because when you are behind you have so much understeer in fast corners,” he explained post-race.

“So, you are just waiting in traffic and take the opportunity to pass. And this is what I did. A GT car blocked the leader, and I took the risk to overtake.”

In the end, the overall win didn’t come off. On fresher tires after the final stops and final safety car restart, a gamble sacrificing track position for half a set of fresh tires paid off for ex-Alpine factory driver Matthieu Vaxiviere and AF Corse. Three late overtakes, including one on Jaubert on the final lap, allowed him to claim a shock victory for the Pro/Am-entered Italian team.

However, Genesis Magma Racing’s second place finish didn’t take the shine off the achievement nor the occasion, despite team principal Cyril Abiteboul’s effort to stay humble.

“Obtaining a strong result is certainly very good to reward everyone’s work and to raise awareness early for our team,” he told RACER after the weekend.

“But we insist that this year is all about learning and progressing. While the result is strong we should not lose sight of our long-term objectives and what it will take to reach them.”

With the champagne celebrations now over, work continue apace. In addition to preparing for the next ELMS race at Paul Ricard in a month’s time, development on the GMR-001’s engine continues, as does the evaluation process for the brand’s future IMSA GTP service provider.