The season opener of the top domestic motorsports series, the "2026 One Superrace Championship," on the 19th at Everland Speedway in Yongin. When it was time for the "grid walk," where fans can meet race cars and drivers on the track, crowds poured onto the asphalt. In addition to die-hard fans in F1 shirts from Red Bull and Ferrari, many spectators came with strollers and young children. One child who sat in a race car's driver's seat exclaimed "cool" over and over, falling in love with motorsports.
Attention is turning to whether Korea can shed its image as a "motorsports desert." As motorsports films and documentaries gain popularity at home and hint at a growing fan base, related investment by the auto industry is continuing. With Incheon City officially moving to bid for an F1 Grand Prix, considered the pinnacle of motorsports, there is renewed interest in whether Korea can again become a host country for F1.
◇ Hyundai Motor's Genesis makes successful WEC debut… corporations securing "fans" through motorsports
According to the auto industry on the 21st, the corporation most committed to motorsports in Korea is by far Hyundai Motor. From Apr. 17 to 19 (local time), Genesis, Hyundai Motor's premium brand, achieved its goal of "finishing" in its debut at the "FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)" in Imola, Italy. The event Genesis entered runs for six hours, with three drivers taking turns to repeatedly lap a 4.909-kilometer circuit in the same car without rest. It is the competition that most directly proves a vehicle's durability and technological prowess.
Hyundai Motor turned to motorsports to shed its past image as a "stodgy car." It declared a return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and launched its high-performance brand N in 2013. At the 2026 World Car Awards at the New York International Auto Show in April, the Ioniq 6 N won world performance car of the year, a major feat. Hyundai Motor also hosts the Hyundai N Festival every year, the largest one-make motorsports series in Korea contested with a single model.
The domestic tire industry is also all-in on motorsports. In the final of the Superrace's flagship "Toyota Gazoo Racing 6000 Class" on the 19th, Lee Chang-uk of the motorsports team run by Kumho Tire achieved a "pole to win," taking both pole position in qualifying and victory in the race. The team ran on Kumho Tire's racing tire, the Ecsta S700. Nexen Tire also entered the same event, supplying racing tires such as the N'Fera SS01. Hankook Tire & Technology has competed since 2024 in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the world's top endurance race in Germany, going head-to-head with global tire brands.
Until recently, the main reason corporations in the auto industry invested in motorsports was to boost technological capability while developing products. Applying those gains to mass-production models not only speeds development but also builds a "premium" brand image. Lately, however, motorsports has also been taking root as a new marketing tool.
An auto industry official said, "As the racing film 'F1: The Movie' was a hit last year and Netflix's F1 documentary 'Drive to Survive' has maintained steady popularity, interest in motorsports has grown in Korea," adding, "Once people have a team to cheer for, that can naturally lead to purchases of that brand's vehicles, so we are actively planning hands-on events."
◇ Incheon City throws its hat in the ring to host the F1 Grand Prix… global brands also show interest in the Korean market
Whether the F1 Grand Prix will be held in Korea is also drawing interest. Recently, Incheon City announced study results finding that holding an F1 Grand Prix in the city for five years would meet economic feasibility. The city plans to build a 4.96-kilometer street circuit, like those in Singapore and Las Vegas in the United States. Top speeds could reach 337 kilometers per hour. If the bid succeeds, Incheon expects about 300,000 to 400,000 domestic and international visitors over the three-day event each year.
Global automakers are also eyeing the expansion of Korea's motorsports base. Among them, Japan's Toyota is the most aggressive in targeting Korean motorsports. Toyota Korea joined this Superrace as the official naming sponsor and set up a large booth to broaden the motorsports fan base. Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea is also targeting the Korean market by taking part for a third straight year in the Superrace's "Prius PHEV Class," which races the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid (PHEV).