Genesis Magma Racing Embarks on 2025 ELMS Journey to Lay Foundations for 2026 WEC Hypercar Debut
Genesis Magma Racing will compete in this year’s European Le Mans Series (ELMS), marking the team’s first on-track appearance. The #18 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) car features Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert—the team’s Trajectory programme graduates—alongside Daniel Juncadella.
By partnering with IDEC Sport, Genesis Magma Racing’s staff will refine their roles and face the stresses of endurance racing, gearing up for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season in the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar. Competing in the ELMS is crucial for the Genesis Magma Racing project, as it establishes the groundwork for running the GMR-001 Hypercar upon its 2026 FIA WEC debut.
The ELMS season offers engineers, mechanics, strategists, and other team members a genuine endurance racing environment. Their experiences will help them prepare for future stages of the project. For Chadwick and Jaubert, 2025 marks their first full year in Prototype endurance racing. The Trajectory programme focuses on driver development, progressing top talents towards the GMR-001 Hypercar lineup in the 2026 FIA WEC. Racing in the ELMS delivers an essential step in that progression, challenging drivers to adapt to the unique demands of endurance motorsport.
“The idea of starting from nothing in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026, without any endurance racing experience, felt overwhelming,” stated Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing. “The ELMS offers a stage for these drivers to prove their abilities and stake a claim for a position in the 2026 GMR-001 Hypercar lineup. It also gives everyone at Hyundai Motorsport a chance to learn about the endurance racing community and what is required to excel when we enter WEC in 2026.”
Abiteboul continued, “Of course, we expect strong performances from Jamie, Mathys, and Dani, but our primary focus this season is development. We chose the drivers in the Trajectory programme with the potential to step up to Hypercar level.”
Chadwick clearly stated her aims: “I want to learn as much as possible. We plan to develop as a team and driver lineup, and hopefully, our progress will pay off by year’s end. We have a brilliant team and can contend for top results. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a podium.”
Jaubert added, “A podium finish would be incredible, but endurance racing is about consistency. My main goal is to prove my worth as an LMP2 driver and contribute to the team’s success.”
Chadwick and Jaubert will receive guidance from Juncadella, who brings greater endurance racing experience. “It’s their first taste of this discipline,” Juncadella said. “I’m ahead in experience, but they’re both highly talented. I can’t teach them much about speed, but I’ll support them however I can to help them move forward.”
Another experienced mentor, André Lotterer, joins Chadwick, Jaubert, and Juncadella for the June 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lotterer, a three-time overall winner of the legendary race, will lend invaluable expertise to the team during their most formidable challenge of the year.
Partnering with IDEC Sport in the ELMS also allows Genesis Magma Racing to raise its profile within the endurance racing community. The #18 car will display distinctive Genesis Magma Racing branding, with the vivid Magma orange representing Korea’s vibrant spirit. A geometric logo—derived from the Korean Hangeul for “Magma” (마그마)—adorns the car’s nose and rear haunches, while “Genesis Magma Racing” is proudly emblazoned across the rear wing. Drivers’ race suits and team attire will feature these same striking elements.
“When we arrive in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, we want fans to recognise and cheer for us,” Abiteboul explained. “They must know Genesis Magma and Genesis Magma Racing. We will seize every opportunity to introduce ourselves to endurance racing supporters throughout the 2025 ELMS championship and our partnership with IDEC Sport—including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Though the ELMS campaign marks Genesis Magma Racing’s debut in endurance motorsport, the series promises an intense baptism. This season, 14 entries line up in LMP2, plus another seven teams in LMP2 Pro/Am. All LMP2 squads employ the same Oreca 07 chassis, Gibson V-8 engine, and Goodyear tyres, racing alongside the slower LMP3 and LMGT3 classes.
“The biggest challenge is the fierce level of competition,” Chadwick remarked. “ELMS races last just four hours, so the racing is flat out from the first to the final lap. This will also be my initial experience in the top class of multi-class racing, so I must adapt to the different speeds and traffic management.”
Juncadella agreed, noting, “Everything is fresh for me—my first time in ELMS, my first time racing this car, and my first time with the team. Fortunately, I can rely on my past experiences for a strong start.”
The 2025 ELMS season consists of six race weekends at legendary venues. The opening round in Barcelona kicks things off before visiting Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Silverstone in the UK, Imola in Italy, and Circuit Paul Ricard in France, culminating in the finale at Portimão, Portugal. Each location hosts a four-hour race, testing drivers, cars, and teams in unique ways.
“Paul Ricard is a home race for me,” Jaubert said. “I’m from the south of France, so I’ll have plenty of support from family and friends. It will feel extra special.”
“It’s fantastic to be racing at Barcelona, my home circuit,” Juncadella added. “I haven’t competed there in a few years, which makes the start of the season even more thrilling.”
