Abiteboul opens up about the Genesis project: “We have reached some important milestones, but there is still a lot of work to be done”

What is the Genesis Magma Racing 'Trajectory' program?

The creation of the 'Trajectory' program is a key part of building the foundation of Genesis Magma Racing. Like any trajectory, it's about how we get from where we are today to where we need to be when we start competing in WEC with the Hypercar GMR-001, in early 2026. To do this, we need to build a team.

For pilots, the 'Trajectory' program is about learning theEndurance, the Le Mans prototypes, and acquire the skills they need to potentially join our team in WEC next year, or in IMSA in 2027. But there is also the rest of the team. Some of them will be new employees that we will hire, but others will be members of the team from Hyundai Motorsport.

For them, the 'Trajectory' program and involvement in the team in ELMS This year allows them to gain the experience and skills they will need to be part of our WEC team. This includes all team members, mechanics, engineers, the workshop team, the marketing department and everyone responsible for planning and organizing the race team. Everything is included.

How will the Genesis Magma Racing team be represented in ELMS in 2025?

This season, team members – mechanics, engineers, and strategists – as well as drivers – Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert – from our 'Trajectory' program will compete in the championship in the LM P2 class, with Daniel Juncadella as the third driver. Although the car will be managed by IDEC Sport, it will run under the Genesis Magma Racing colors, and the team will be heavily involved behind the scenes with both Genesis Magma Racing and Hyundai Motorsport. The goal is for everyone to become familiar with endurance racing before we start with the GMR-001 in the World Endurance Championship in 2026. This will help us build momentum and have a good starting point when we arrive at the first race with the GMR-001 in 2026.

Why was it important for Genesis Magma Racing to be part of the ELMS grid this year?

It all ties into our 'Trajectory' program for the entire team. The idea of ​​starting with Genesis Magma Racing in the WEC in 2026 from scratch, without any exposure to endurance racing, quickly became very scary. The ELMS is a place where drivers can prove their talents and aspire to drive the 001 GMR-2026. It's also the best opportunity for everyone involved with Genesis Magma Racing and Hyundai Motorsport to experience endurance racing, its code, its requirements, its community, and to understand what we need to succeed when we enter the WEC next year.

For the drivers, this is an opportunity to prove their talents and assert their rights to be part of the team for 2026. When we arrive in the Hypercar category in the WEC, we already want people to cheer us on. For that, they need to know who we are, they need to know Genesis Magma Racing. In 2025, we need to present ourselves to endurance fans at every opportunity, and that's what we'll do through our partnership with IDEC Sport, at all the ELMS championship races and the incredible 24H of Le Mans.

Why did Genesis Magma Racing decide to partner with IDEC Sport for the ELMS season?

Once again, it quickly became clear that entering endurance racing with Genesis Magma Racing or Hyundai Motorsport was impossible, but with our goal of competing in the World Endurance Championship in 2026, we didn't have the option of building a completely new team from scratch. Partnering with an experienced endurance team was an easy decision. The people at IDEC Sport were very generous with their time and support, and they welcomed the people from Genesis Magma Racing who have already joined us for this year.

It's also about access to places, people, and understanding all the administrative parts involved in endurance racing that we need to know for 2026. When we enter the WEC with the GMR-001, we will be competing against well-established teams, many of which have GT programs. Because we are entering the Hypercar category directly, we don't have that base; we only have the tip of the pyramid. The 'Trajectory' program and the partnership with IDEC Sport for the ELMS in 2025 are starting to give us that base, while also allowing us to develop and evaluate talent, both with the drivers and other team members.

Why did you select Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert for the 'Trajectory' program and the European Le Mans Series this season?

When we were looking for potential drivers for the 'Trajectory' program, we had several criteria. We wanted to find talented drivers from different demographics, different countries, and different career paths in motorsport, but we were also looking for drivers who hadn't had the opportunities we felt their potential deserved. We chose the three European Le Mans Series drivers very carefully, based on these three elements. When you look at the careers of Jamie and Mathys, it's clear that they are good drivers but have not yet reached the highest levels of motorsport. We believe they all have the potential to be part of the future Genesis Magma Racing line-up, and success this season will be a big step in that direction.

How was Daniel Juncadella chosen to complete the team this season?

Dani is a very fast driver, very experienced and familiar with endurance racing, so he will fit perfectly into the team. Since the end of last year, we had a plan for the team, but motorsport is never easy, so we needed to find a new third driver. With IDEC Sport, we chose Dani. He will play an important role in supporting Jamie and Mathys throughout the season. I'm sure they will be able to learn a lot thanks to his presence in the team.

How will you measure success this year? What are your expectations for the European Le Mans Series this season?

Of course, we want Jamie, Mathys, and Dani to perform well, but beyond the immediate results, we're also interested in the overall direction over the course of the season. For everyone, this is a learning year as we've selected the Trajectory drivers for potential promotion to Hypercar. We believe all three drivers can easily challenge for consistent top-five finishes. In Endurance, if you consistently finish in the top five, you'll eventually reach the podium, and if you're on the podium, you're a threat to win. It then becomes interesting to see if we can immediately promote drivers for 2026, which is one of the main objectives of the Trajectory program.

The IDEC Sport team and the Genesis Magma Racing drivers will also be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. How important is this participation?

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the pinnacle of endurance racing. Every driver and team wants to race at Le Mans, so it's huge for us to be invited to the race less than six months after announcing our endurance plans. You know, at Genesis Magma Racing, we talk about "Hyperspeed" as a concept we've adopted from Korean culture: it's the fast, flawless execution of the decisions you need to succeed, but it's also the acceleration we need to get from where we were in September 2024, with our first announcement, to where we need to be for the start of the WEC season in 2026. To be on the grid at Le Mans even before the GMR-001 debuts is a huge honor, and a great chance for us to build the profile and fan interest for Genesis Magma Racing this year.

Regarding the larger Genesis Magma Racing project, what's the latest news regarding the development of the GMR-001?

We are very pleased with the progress of the project. Everything is going according to plan. We have already reached some important milestones, but there is still a lot of work to be done. It's not just about developing and building everything we need for the GMR-001. We also need to build the team and factory we need to be able to compete in the WEC in 2026. I am very excited to be able to share more and more information about the car and the team throughout the year.

Interview provided by Genesis

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