Genesis GMR-001
Genesis and Oreca's LMDh contender for WEC and IMSA.
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The Genesis GMR-001 is a sports prototype built by Genesis in partnership with Oreca, designed for LMDh regulations. It first raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class at the 2026 6 Hours of Imola, and will join the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s GTP category in 2027.
Hyundai announced its LMDh program under the Genesis luxury brand in September 2024, with Oreca supplying the chassis. Three months later, in December 2024, Genesis Motor unveiled the car at a large event in Dubai, naming it the GMR-001. At that launch, the company confirmed its new team, Genesis Magma Racing, would enter the WEC in 2026 and IMSA in 2027. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul stated the GMR-001 would use a twin-turbocharged V8 engine paired with a hybrid system.
Former WEC champion André Lotterer and IMSA champion Pipo Derani were announced as development drivers. To prepare for its Hypercar debut, Genesis entered the 2025 European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport in LMP2, fielding an Oreca 07 driven by Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert. Logan Sargeant was initially part of that lineup but stepped away before the season began; Daniel Juncadella replaced him. In September 2025, Jaubert and Juncadella were confirmed as race drivers alongside Derani and Lotterer.
The GMR-001 completed its first shakedown test in August 2025 at Circuit Paul Ricard. A month later, it underwent a 32-hour endurance test at Algarve International Circuit, with Lotterer, Derani, Jaubert, and Juncadella present.
Driver lineups for the two cars were set in December 2025: the No. 17 car with Pipo Derani, Mathys Jaubert, and André Lotterer; the No. 19 car with Paul-Loup Chatin, Daniel Juncadella, and Mathieu Jaminet. In its second race, the GMR-001 scored points, with the No. 17 crew finishing 8th.
Lore & Background
In September 2024, Hyundai announced an LMDh programme under its Genesis luxury brand with Oreca as chassis supplier. The car was formally unveiled at a launch event in Dubai in December 2024, named the GMR-001. At the event, Genesis announced that its new team, Genesis Magma Racing, would enter the FIA World Endurance Championship by 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship the following year. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul confirmed the car would use a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a hybrid system.
Former FIA WEC champion André Lotterer and IMSA champion Pipo Derani were confirmed to have joined Genesis in developing the GMR-001. In preparation for Hypercar participation, Genesis entered the 2025 European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport in LMP2, using an Oreca 07 driven by Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert. Former Formula One driver Logan Sargeant was initially included in the line-up before he stepped away prior to the season's commencement; he was replaced by Daniel Juncadella. Jaubert and Juncadella were later confirmed to be joining Genesis alongside Derani and Lotterer in September 2025.
The car completed its first shakedown test in August 2025 at Circuit Paul Ricard, followed by a rigorous 32-hour endurance test in September 2025 at Algarve International Circuit with Lotterer, Derani, Jaubert, and Juncadella present.
Reader's Guide
The Genesis GMR-001 marks the entry of the Hyundai luxury brand into top-level sports prototype racing under LMDh regulations. Its significance lies in bringing a major automotive group into both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship, competing in the Hypercar and GTP categories respectively. The car's development was supported by experienced champions André Lotterer and Pipo Derani, and its first competitive outing came at the 2026 6 Hours of Imola.
In its second race, the No. 17 crew of Derani, Jaubert, and Lotterer scored points with an 8th-place finish. The GMR-001 represents Genesis's commitment to endurance racing, with a twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid powertrain and Oreca chassis expertise. Its legacy is still being written, but it has already established a foundation for the brand's presence in global sportscar competition.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Genesis GMR-001 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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