At 3:40 p.m. on the 13th (local time), at France's Le Mans La Chartre circuit. When drivers got into the prepared racing cars, a sea of spectators rose to their feet. It was to watch the "warming-up lap" to heat the tires.
As the cars at the front took off first, cheers erupted across the venue. About four minutes later, the cars that had completed a lap came into view. At exactly 4 p.m., when the lead car crossed the start line and the exhaust note sliced through the air and pounded ears, the cheers hit a fever pitch. With the announcer's shout signaling the beginning, the toughest race got underway. This was the opening of the Le Mans 24 endurance race.
Le Mans 24 is a car race held since 1923 in the small city of Le Mans, about 200 kilometers southwest of Paris, France. The third round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the event is contested by teams whose drivers take turns lapping a 13.6-kilometer track for 24 hours.
Three drivers share driving duties for each car. Because it takes a full day, not only speed but also stability and durability are crucial, making it a battleground for the world's top brands.
◆Engine developed in eight months… technology proven by finishing the race
Genesis, the premium brand of Hyundai Motor Group, made its debut in this year's race with two GMR-001 hypercars (#17, #19). Last year it competed in LMP2, a tier below.
The engine in the GMR hypercar is the G8MR, a 3.2L V8 turbo. It was developed based on the technology and know-how Hyundai Motor Group accumulated through the World Rally Championship (WRC).
Mass-production engine development takes five years, but it reportedly took eight months from design to the first start of the G8MR. It is more than 40 kilograms lighter than a mass-production engine and delivers the highest output among Hyundai Motor Group's engines.
Kim Jong-hyeok, head of Genesis powertrain, said, "We focused only on what was needed (for engine development) and poured our capabilities into it."
Around 3 p.m. on the 14th (local time), pit stops (service) were in full swing at Genesis' pit garage. Race cars that circulate the track for 24 hours make an average of 30 pit stops. This pit stop came with one hour left in the race.
Four to five mechanics changed the tires and finished refueling in 50 seconds. With the race nearing the end and the order largely set, the tension had eased somewhat, but the crew remained focused on finishing, analyzing the car's data and more.
Around 4 p.m., as car #19 entered the final lap, mechanics came out from the pit garage toward the track and began to encourage one another. Genesis Magma Racing (GMR) achieved its official goal of finishing four minutes later. It was a feat achieved roughly 560 days from engine development. Although car #17 retired, car #19, after an ordeal in which it stopped for eight minutes, wrapped up the race in 13th.
Car #19 completed 327 laps over the two days of the event, with a total distance of more than 5,068 kilometers. Its best lap time was 3:27.645, ranking 15th among the 18 hypercars in the race. The average speed was 220.59 kilometers per hour. A total of 111 personnel, including mechanics and drivers, were deployed for this event.
◆Taegeukgi raised in the heart of Europe… Asian motorsports expands
Genesis drew the full attention of Europeans at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. At the grid walk—an event before the start where spectators can see the competing cars on the track and take photos—hundreds of spectators gathered around GMR cars bearing the Magma livery (a distinctive exterior design applied to race cars, including paint, sponsor logos and graphic patterns). Europeans holding Genesis flags were busy taking commemorative photos with the cars as the backdrop.
The highlight was the Taegeukgi. On the 13th, for the first time in the 103-year history of Le Mans 24 Hours, the Taegeukgi was hung at the venue. It is meaningful in that Korea's auto industry and brand proved they can build high-performance cars to rival Europe's storied brands.
At the starting ceremony held before the race, each manufacturer's national flag is unfurled on the track, and the Taegeukgi was included then as well. Genesis competed in the LMP2 class at Le Mans 24 Hours last year, but because it did not participate in building the car, the Taegeukgi was not hung.
Under Le Mans 24 Hours rules, only the flags of corporations that participated in building the cars can be hung. Because of this, Genesis added the Taegeukgi to the LMP2 class car livery last year.
With Genesis entering, the number of corporations based in Asia rose to two. It was the first time in 40 years since Toyota first entered Le Mans 24 Hours in 1985. Toyota won this year's event, extending its all-time Le Mans 24 Hours win record to six.
At the venue during the event, Europeans draped in flags with "TOYOTA" written in white on a red background were a common sight. Although Genesis was a debutant, people wearing T-shirts with the orange Magma logo on a black background were also frequently spotted.
◆Genesis eyes Le Mans 24 Hours as a foothold for growth in Europe
Le Mans 24 Hours is more than motorsports; it is a "technology battlefield" where global carmakers test future mobility technologies and imprint their brand identities. Data gathered by running in harsh conditions on the track can be used immediately in mass-production car development. A boost in brand recognition comes with it.
That is why brands representing high performance and premium—Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW—spend vast sums to develop cars for the hypercar and GT3 classes and enter them in competition. Toyota and Lexus have also competed in both classes.
Genesis plans to use the various data obtained at this event not only for mass-production cars but also for high-performance car development. A Genesis official met on site said, "Ferrari became what it is today thanks to its Le Mans 24 Hours experience," adding, "Genesis is preparing in many ways in collaboration with Hyundai Motor and Kia's Namyang R&D Center, and things will change every year."