• Genesis Magma Racing will be represented on track in this year's European Le Mans Series (ELMS), working in partnership with IDEC Sport to contest the series' Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class
• A vital part of Genesis Magma Racing project, ELMS campaign creates foundation for racing team that will debut GMR-001 Hypercar in 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
• Driving duties in LMP2 car will be shared by Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory members Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert, alongside Daniel Juncadella
• ELMS season's six races will give Trajectory program drivers chance to improve their skills, with aim of joining 2026 FIA WEC lineup
Genesis Magma Racing will be represented on this year's European Le Mans Series (ELMS) grid in the first step for the team on track.
The #18 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) car will be shared by Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert from the team's Trajectory program, alongside Daniel Juncadella, in an opportunity for all three to learn about Prototype racing.
Working in partnership with IDEC Sport, Genesis Magma Racing team members will have the opportunity to learn their roles and experience the demands and stresses of endurance racing in preparation for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar.
2025, a Learning Year
Competing in the ELMS is a vital first step in the Genesis Magma Racing project, creating the foundations of the team that will run the GMR-001 Hypercar when it debuts in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026. The ELMS season offers Genesis Magma Racing mechanics, engineers, strategists and other team members the opportunity to learn and experience endurance racing, preparing them for the next stages of the project.
For Chadwick and Jaubert, 2025 will be their first full season in endurance racing Prototypes. The Trajectory program aims to support drivers' development, working toward promoting them to the driver lineup for the GMR-001 Hypercar in the FIA WEC. The experience of top-class endurance racing with a season in the ELMS provides a key part of that development, giving the drivers the opportunity to prove themselves while learning the unique requirements of endurance racing.
'The idea of starting with Genesis Magma Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026 from nothing, with no exposure to endurance racing, quickly became very scary,' said Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing. 'The ELMS is a place for the drivers to prove their talents and make their claim to be a part of the 2026 GMR-001 Hypercar driver lineup. It is also an opportunity for everyone involved within Hyundai Motorsport to learn about endurance racing, its code, its requirements, its community, and understand what we need to succeed when we enter WEC in 2026.'
The Target on Track: Prioritizing Development Over Results
'Of course we want Jamie, Mathys and Dani to deliver strong results,' said Abiteboul, 'but more than immediate results, it is the general direction in the course of the season we are interested in. For everyone, this is a year for learning because we selected the Trajectory program drivers with an aim of a potential promotion to Hypercar.'
For the drivers, the goal is clear. 'I want to learn as much as possible,' said Chadwick. 'The aim is to develop as much as possible as a team and lineup, and hopefully that will pay dividends by the end of the year. We have a great team and can fight for results. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want a podium.'
Jaubert said, 'Podium finishes would be incredible, but in endurance racing consistency is key. My main goal is to establish myself as a strong LMP2 driver and contribute to the team's success.'
Chadwick and Jaubert will be supported by Juncadella, who will play an important role in the team as a more experienced driver. 'It's their first contact with endurance racing,' Juncadella said about his teammates. 'I am way ahead in terms of experience, but they are very talented. I don't think I can teach them much to make them faster, but I will help them any way I can so that they can move forward in their careers.'
Further support for the pair of Trajectory drivers will come from Genesis Magma Racing driver André Lotterer. The German will join the driver lineup for June's 24 Hours of Le Mans. A three-time overall winner of the famous race, his knowledge of what is required for success at the event will aid the team in their toughest test of the year.
Visibility of Genesis Magma Racing Key to Aims of 2025 Season
A key motivation for working with IDEC Sport in the ELMS this season is to build the fame of Genesis Magma Racing amongst the endurance racing community. To support this goal, the #18 car will carry the unmistakable branding of Genesis Magma Racing.
The signature Magma orange — symbolizing Korea's vibrant energy — will instantly make the car stand out on track, even as part of a tightly packed field. The team's geometric logo, inspired by the Korean Hangeul lettering for 'Magma' (마그마), with its consonants 'ㅁ, ㄱ, ㅁ,' appears on the car's nose and rear haunches, with Genesis Magma Racing proudly written across the rear wing. The same elements will also be featured in the driver's race overalls and team clothing seen around this season's paddocks.
'When we arrive in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, we already want people cheering for us,' said Abiteboul. 'To do that, they have to know who we are, they must know Genesis Magma and Genesis Magma Racing. In 2025, we need to introduce ourselves to endurance racing fans at every opportunity and that's what we will do through this partnership with IDEC Sport, during all the races of the ELMS championship, including the amazing 24 Hours of Le Mans.'
First Steps in Endurance Racing
The entry into the ELMS will be Genesis Magma Racing's first steps in endurance racing. However, the series will immediately drop the team and their drivers into a highly competitive environment. Already this season, there are 14 entries in the LMP2 category, in addition to a further seven contesting the LMP2 Pro/Am category. All LMP2 teams use the same combination of Oreca 07 chassis, V-8 Gibson engine and Goodyear tires. The Prototype racers share the track with the slower LMP3 and LMGT3 classes.
The result is an incredibly competitive grid, the perfect introduction to the demands of endurance racing and a high-speed classroom for Chadwick and Jaubert to develop their skills.
'I think the biggest challenge will be how competitive the series is,' said Chadwick. 'All the ELMS races are only four hours, so they will be flat out from start to finish. This year will also be my first time in the top category in multi-class racing, so I will have to get used to the speed differential and traffic management.'
Juncadella chimed in, saying, 'Everything is new. I've never really raced in the ELMS before. It's my first time racing the car and my first time with the team, but I'm sure that everything I've learned through the years will give me a head start at the start of the season.'
Iconic Circuits All the Way on Six-Stop Calendar
The six race weekends of the 2025 ELMS will take the drivers to a succession of iconic tracks. Starting with the opening race of the year in Barcelona, Spain, each circuit hosts a four-hour race, and each provides its own test of drivers, car and team. From the high-speed sweeps of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Silverstone in the U.K. to the technical challenges of Imola in Italy and the season finale in Portimão, Portugal, via a home race for the IDEC Sport team at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, every track promises a thrilling contest.
'Paul Ricard feels like a home race for me,' said Jaubert. 'I live in the south of France, so I'll have a lot of support from family, friends and partners. Having that energy around me will make it a special event.'
'It's a highlight of the year to be racing in Barcelona, my hometown,' said Juncadella. 'I haven't raced there in a few years, so that just adds to the excitement to get the season going.'
2025 European Le Mans Series Calendar
April 4-6: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain
May 2-4: Circuit Paul Ricard, France
July 4-6: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy
Aug. 22-24: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Sept. 12-14: Silverstone Circuit, United Kingdom
Oct. 16-18: Algarve International Circuit, Portugal
Driver profile: Jamie Chadwick
Place of birth: Bath, U.K.
Date of birth: May 20, 1998
FIA driver grading: Silver
Career highlights:
2024 7th – Indy NXT Series (1 win, 2 podiums)
2023 12th – Indy NXT Series
2022 1st – W Series (5 wins, 6 podiums)
2021 1st – W Series (4 wins, 7 podiums)
2019 1st – W Series (2 wins, 5 podiums)
1st – Nürburgring 24 Hours - SP8T class
2015 1st – British GT Championship - GT4 class (2 wins, 6 podiums)
Driver profile: Mathys Jaubert
Place of birth: Salon-de-Provence, France
Date of birth: March 3, 2005
FIA driver grading: Silver
Career highlights:
2024 2nd – Porsche Carrera Cup France (3 wins, 9 podiums)
2024 3rd – Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (11 podiums)
2024 10th – Porsche Supercup
2023 4th – Porsche Carrera Cup France (2 podiums)
Driver profile: Daniel Juncadella
Place of birth: Barcelona, Spain
Date of birth: May 7, 1991
FIA driver grading: Platinum
Career highlights:
2023 2nd – IMSA Sportscar Championship – GTD Pro class (3 wins, 5 podiums)
2022 1st – GT World Challenge Europe Endurance – Pro class (1 win, 3 podiums)
2012 1st – FIA Formula 3 Europe (6 wins, 12 podiums)
2011 1st – Macau Grand Prix
Photo credit: Genesis posted on conceptcarz.com
