Next season, Genesis Magma Racing will enter two Genesis GMR-001 hypercars driven by André Lotterer, Pipo Derani, Dani Juncadella, Mathys Jaubert, Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin. Jaminet and Chatin will bring their experience of the top class of endurance to the mix, having defended the colours of Porsche Penske Motorsport and Alpine Endurance Team.
Gabriele Tarquini, Genesis Magma Racing Sporting Director, said: “The addition of Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin completes a well-balanced line-up for our début WEC season. They are the perfect point between the experience we have in André Lotterer and Pipo Derani, and the potential we see in Mathys Jaubert and Dani Juncadella.”
“We have an amazing line-up for Genesis Magma Racing’s first year in the FIA World Endurance Championship,” added Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul. “The combination of drivers that we have secured far exceeds any expectation we had when we began the project. It is a huge mark of the trust these race winners and champions have placed in our young team, Genesis and the broader Hyundai Motor Group. I am sure they will create huge motivation and a virtuous circle for the team that is coming together very nicely at our base in Signes.”
A fresh start for Jaminet
With his considerable GT and Hypercar experience, Mathieu Jaminet has become a leading figure in the endurance world. In 2022, he won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro title before moving up to the top class the following season. He has since banked five overall victories and eight podiums and put in remarkable performances at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta). “I’m very happy to be joining Genesis Magma Racing,” said the 31-year-old French racer. “This is the start of a new chapter, a new history for me. This team offers me that opportunity to go racing in the WEC and hopefully in the future also the IMSA series. I wanted to have a fresh start with new people to try to step up but also bring my experience to a new team and work to build something incredible for the future. Obviously, the road will be long with a new team but I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Jaminet has four 24 Hours of Le Mans appearances to his name and competed in a part of the 2025 FIA WEC, including a fourth place at the 6 Hours of Fuji.
Oreca chassis no stranger to Chatin
Paul-Loup Chatin brings precious development know-how to Genesis. After spending the past two seasons with Alpine Endurance Team, he is perfectly familiar with the Oreca chassis that forms the basis of the A424 and the GMR-001. His knowledge of the platform’s earlier development will be a huge asset in finalising the car’s set-up for its race début and in preparing the further tests slated for 2026. “I am truly honored and proud to join the Genesis Magma Racing adventure in Hypercar,” enthused the 34-year-old Frenchman who boasts no fewer than eleven 24 Hours of Le Mans starts. “First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible. After two enriching years with Alpine Endurance Team and the recent success in Fuji, I feel more ready than ever to take on this new challenge. Genesis is still a young brand, but its values and ambitions immediately resonated with me,” he added. “I’m well aware of the challenges that await us, but I have full confidence in our team’s talent and determination to quickly move forward and fight for top positions.”
Mathieu Jaminet, Genesis Magma Racing
Jaminet took part in the latest endurance tests organised by Genesis at MotorLand Aragón, Spain, from 15 to 17 November. He joined Lotterer, Derani, Jaubert, Juncadella and reserve driver Jamie Chadwick. With Jaminet putting in stints throughout the three days of testing, the team ticked off important boxes by confirming the reliability essential for its introduction to the FIA WEC. “I had to adapt a little bit,” he said after his first laps in the GMR-001. “The car requires a different driving style compared to what I am used to. It seems to like nice big corners. It’s actually quite nice. At this stage every lap is really important for a driver. You need to understand all the systems, all the buttons on the steering wheel and all the procedures. I think I come in with different feedback on a few things. I’m one of the most experienced drivers with LMDh cars and obviously I was in a different car not long ago. I tried to not get too much feedback from the other drivers – I really wanted to make my opinion, also for the engineers. The idea was not to provide me with too much information to really start from a white sheet of paper to tell them what I think.”
Trios still to be finalised
Team managers will now get to work on assessing the individual drivers’ performances and feedback, and their dynamic with their fellow squad members, to determine the exact composition of the FIA WEC line-ups. “The chemistry between drivers in the car is vital when it comes to success,” said Tarquini. “Through the tests we can see how the drivers work together, see how their driving styles and set-up preferences match, and how the relationships begin to form before deciding our line-ups for the season. The key will be to make sure we have the best possible squad of drivers in both cars to help us create the strong foundations we need as a team.”
