Genesis begins a learning season with IDEC

Genesis will enter the Hypercar category of the World ChampionshipEndurance in 2026. While waiting for his very first race in WEC, the South Korean manufacturer will make its mark in Europe Le Mans Series this season.

Genesis Trajectory Program drivers Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert will be driving the No. 07 Oreca 18 entered by French team IDEC Sport. The seasonELMS will provide mechanics, engineers, strategists and other members of the Genesis Magma Racing team with the opportunity to learn and experience endurance racing, preparing them for the next stages of the project.

Chadwick and Jaubert will be competing in their first full season in prototypes with the hope of a promotion to the Hypercar category for 2026. They will be joined by Dani Juncadella. The Spaniard, a Corvette driver in the GT3 class of the World Endurance Championship, replaces Logan sargeant. The old pilot Williams en Formula 1, initially announced, has finally given up.

ALSO READ > Logan Sargeant steps away from motorsport and leaves IDEC Sport

The 2025 livery of the Oreca 07 n°18 – Photo: Genesis Magma Racing

« The idea of ​​starting in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship in 2026 without any prior exposure to endurance racing quickly became very scary, Explain Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing. The ELMS is an opportunity for drivers to prove their talent and assert their right to join the GMR-001 Hypercar driver team in competition. It is also an opportunity for everyone involved in Hyundai Motorsport to learn about endurance racing, its codes, its requirements, its community, and to understand what we need to succeed when we enter the WEC in 2026. »

« Of course, we want Jamie, Mathys and Dani to achieve good results, but more than the immediate performances, it is the overall evolution during the season that interests us, adds the Frenchman. For everyone, it's a learning year, as we've selected them for potential promotion to Hypercar. »

« I want to learn as much as possible, says Chadwick. The goal is to develop the team and the squad as much as possible, and I hope this will bear fruit by the end of the year. We have a good team and we can fight for good results. I would be lying if I said I wasn't aiming for a podium. "" Getting podiums would be incredible, adds Jaubert. My main goal is to establish myself as a solid driver in LM P2 and contribute to the success of the team. »

The Genesis Magma Racing logo appears on the No. 07 Oreca 18 of IDEC Sport – Photo: Genesis Magma Racing

Entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette, Juncadella will be replaced in La Sarthe by triple winner André Lotterer (2011, 2012, 2014), one of the two drivers already confirmed in the Genesis Hypercar program alongside Pipo Derani.

IDEC Sport's No. 07 Oreca 18 will be recognizable by its orange livery, the signature color of Genesis' Magma range. The team logo will appear on the nose and sides of the car, while the full team name will be visible on the rear wing and roof.

The French team will enter a second Oreca in the European Le Mans Series, driven by Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Job van Uitert. It retains its classic red and black livery, featuring the number 28.

ALSO READ > Engine, recruitment, objectives… Abiteboul gives an initial update on the Genesis program