The Genesis Magma Racing team is currently in the process of building the GMR-001 LMDh Hypercar. It recently passed a power test. Cyril Abiteboul, Chief of the GMR team, introduced the team’s new members and announced a new race base in Le Castellet, France. Luc Donckerwolke, who is in charge of design at Genesis, says that the company is going into the French, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish markets. Genesis is moving toward its goal of competing for race titles. During a press conference held today ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Genesis Magma Racing team principal Cyril Abiteboul offered an update on the development of the GMR-001 Hypercar and revealed new insights into the expansion of Hyundai Motorsport. Last year in Dubai, the new race car was shown off for the first time. Two GMR-001 Hypercars are set to compete in the LMDh class of the 2026 World Endurance Championship (WEC), with an IMSA team expected to join in 2027, also fielding two cars. It has also been confirmed that the Genesis Hypercar will be equipped with a hybrid powertrain featuring a turbocharged V-8 engine. Earlier this year, Genesis unveiled the car’s striking orange livery, and the vehicle is now nearing completion. Abiteboul stated today that the power test for the Hypercar was successful. In this step, the race team’s decision to use a V-8 powertrain which was made by combining two 1.6-liter turbocharged Genesis fours is said to have been proven right. With the new engine, Hyundai Motorsports’ success in the World Rally Championship (WRC) has been clear. Abiteboul also stated that Hyundai is expanding its racing business to accommodate the new GMR team, which will be based in Le Castellet, France. The team’s leader stated that being close to Oreca’s plant, which manufactures the chassis and continues to provide the team with parts for its LMDh race cars, will aid them in building and testing their first two Hypercars. Three new people have joined Abiteboul, and the team’s leader believes that their extensive racing knowledge will be very helpful. The new team boss is Anouck Abadie. In addition to her work with the FIA, which oversees racing, Abadie has also been a manager and sporting head for endurance teams. Gabriele Tarquini, the sporting head for GMR and a multiple Touring Car title winner, joins her. The team’s top engineer, Justin Taylor, has worked in both the WEC and IMSA. Taylor used to be a race driver for Chip Ganassi’s Cadillac racing team and Ferrari, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in 2023.
