Genesis will make its official entry this month in the 2026 World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Genesis said on the 1st that its in-house racing team, "Genesis Magma Racing," will make its first official appearance in the top-tier "Hypercar" class of the 2026 WEC season opener, the "6 Hours of Imola," to be held in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, from the 17th to the 19th (local time).
Genesis Magma Racing plans to start with the WEC's first event, the 6 Hours of Imola, and then contest all eight WEC rounds scheduled within the year.
After unveiling Genesis Magma Racing for the first time in Dubai in Dec. 2024, Genesis set up a base camp in Le Castellet, France, and over 499 days completed its own engine development and the formation of race operations staff and the driver lineup.
Through this, it will enter the WEC as a single manufacturer team that oversees the entire process of vehicle development and operations, rather than a partnership that exchanges technology and personnel with external teams.
Ahead of its official WEC debut, Genesis Magma Racing has built an elite driver lineup with championship-winning experience and expertise. Alongside André Lotterer and Pipo Derani, who were introduced as official drivers at the first unveiling, a total of six drivers — Mathis Jover, Dani Juncadella, Mathieu Jaminet, and Paul-Loup Chatin — will compete in the WEC under Genesis Magma Racing.
In the 2026 WEC, Genesis plans to field two "GMR-001 Hypercar" official livery vehicles, which condense the brand's technological prowess and aesthetic identity, in the competition.
Built as a top-level motorsport racing car, the GMR-001 Hypercar is equipped with the "G8MR 3.2L Turbo V8," an engine dedicated to Genesis Magma Racing and developed based on Hyundai Motorsport's inline four-cylinder engine from the World Rally Championship (WRC).
Since its initial development in Feb. last year, this engine has undergone test runs and durability tests totaling about 25,000 km.
A Genesis official said, "The first goal for this WEC season is to show everything we have prepared and finish the race without issues," adding, "We will then raise our targets step by step in subsequent races and challenge for the front of the field."