Genesis GMR-001: How the New Hypercar Stunned in Its WEC Debut

[SPOTV News — Park Dae-hyun] Genesis made a smooth debut.

It turned heads in its first appearance at the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the FIA’s top international endurance racing series.

The run showcased the growth potential of a Korean-built hypercar.

Genesis’s factory outfit, Genesis Magma Racing, entered the Hypercar class at the 2026 WEC season opener, the 6 Hours of Imola, on April 19 at Imola Circuit in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Both of Genesis’s in-house GMR-001 hypercars brought the cars to the finish.

Car No. 17 finished 15th, and Car No. 19 crossed the line in 17th.

The Imola entry list read like a who’s who of the auto world.

Eight manufacturers fielded 17 Hypercars, including Ferrari (Italy), BMW (Germany), Toyota (Japan), Aston Martin (U.K.), and Cadillac (U.S.).

Genesis Magma Racing’s No. 17 and No. 19 completed 211 and 189 laps, respectively.

Toyota Racing took the victory, completing 213 laps over the six-hour race.

The 6 Hours of Imola features three drivers per car rotating over six hours, repeatedly lapping the 4,909 km Imola circuit. The team that logs the most laps when the clock hits six hours wins.

Genesis Magma Racing’s objective was straightforward: as a WEC rookie, the priority was a clean, stable run and simply finishing the race.

Imola is a demanding circuit.

Many rival teams bring decades—some more than a century—of endurance racing experience.

The learning curve for a newcomer is steep.

Still, both GMR-001 cars reached the finish.

They met their primary target and earned praise from the broadcasters.

There were several highlight moments called out during the telecast.

The most memorable was a direct tussle with Ferrari, a marque with an 86-year history.

Late in the race, AF Corse’s No. 50, driven by Nicklas Nielsen, had climbed to 12th.

He pushed to pass Genesis Magma Racing’s No. 17, driven at the time by Mathias Jover, who was sitting 11th.

He couldn’t make the move.

Nielsen ran into Genesis’s defensive pace on both the corners and the straights and came up short.

Over the radio he sounded puzzled: “I don’t get it—why is that Korean car faster through the corners than we are?”

SPOTV analyst Choi Jang-han reacted, “It’s unbelievable to say Genesis was quicker than Ferrari. For a top driver to make that comment in such a tense moment is remarkable.” He added that it was hugely encouraging to see a WEC newcomer spend so much time ahead of Ferrari and applauded the team’s performance.

Genesis announced its WEC entry plan in December 2024.

The program then executed a meticulous build-up—designing and developing the car in-house and assembling a seasoned roster of drivers and operations staff.

They entered the WEC as a single-manufacturer, independent team without a technical partner.

The preparation was thorough.

About 25,000 km of track testing helped validate durability, driving stability, and race operations.

They optimized the car’s setup, including engine performance, for Imola’s many corners and bumpy sections.

Genesis said it views the WEC debut as a success, noting the team accumulated practical experience and data to improve vehicle development and race operations.

Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of Genesis Magma Racing, said, “As a new team our core targets were reliability and execution. Everyone followed the plan from the prologue through the race. Imola confirmed our program’s solid foundation and huge potential.”

André Lotterer, who led Car No. 17, said, “We had a slight tire-strategy misstep because of changing weather, but Pipo Derani held on well to the end. We’ll keep building on the strong foundation we established here and keep pushing for better results.”

Genesis Magma Racing’s next race is the season’s second round, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on May 9.

The 2026 FIA WEC season will be broadcast live on SPOTV, SPOTV Prime, and SPOTV NOW.