After the Hypercar, a GT3 program for Genesis? "We have dreams, projects"

What if the future GMR-001 was just the beginning of a much larger project for Hyundai Motorsport and Genesis in Endurance ? The Korean firm will make its debut in the discipline in 2026 with an LMDh with an Oreca chassis. The first lines of the prototype of the Genesis Magma Racing team were unveiled with great fanfare on December 4th, in Dubai. The new structure, which will set up shop in the south of France, very close to the Paul Ricard circuit, will have a full year to develop its car – but also its drivers in association with IDEC Sport – before taking the big leap into WECIn 2026.

With this new project, Genesis wants to enter the world of motorsport through the front door with a new program for the Hyundai group. "I think we have to be extremely humble and realistic about these ambitions, said Cyril Abiteboul, President of Hyundai Motorsport, for the WEC website. First of all, we want to have a car ready for homologation towards the end of 2025, so that we can, if all goes to plan, race in early 2026. From there, it can only be a learning curve. Hopefully it will be as vertical as possible, working with people who have been there before, like Oreca, André (Lotterer) and a number of senior executives that we will announce.

"We are here for nothing other than to fight for victories and titles, but we have to be extremely realistic that this is a very competitive environment with brands that have been racing forever, more or less, recalls the French leader. We have to move forward step by step. I don't want to get tied to a particular timeline or schedule. We think it's going to take a few years, but that's fine because we're in it for the long haul."

Genesis already has a concept close to the GT3

The French manager will also take on the role of team director of Genesis Magma Racing. A project that will continue to grow, with new major arrivals in the coming months… and in particular a very strong probability of arrival in LMGT3 in the coming years with the superb X Gran Racer, which will soon no longer be a simple showroom concept car.

© Genesis

For the president of Hyundai Motorsport, Genesis does not rule out launching other Endurance programs in the future, stressing that the GMR-001 was just the beginning for the Korean brand. "This announcement is about the beginning of something, and that beginning is the current set of regulations for prototype racing, said Cyril Abiteboul. But you know, if you look at what Genesis Magma has shown, including in terms of concept cars, you can see that we have dreams, we have plans. This announcement is part of that, but again, it's just a starting point." Moreover, in Dubai, Luc Donckerwolke, boss of Genesis, affirmed that his brand "did not exclude" the possibility of launching a GT3 in the future…

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