Genesis Magma Racing is set to be the big newcomer of the 2026 World Endurance Championship season. The Hyundai project will be under heavy scrutiny as it enters the Hypercar arena with a fully in-house racing team built from scratch.
And this morning, Cyril Abiteboul's squad revealed the final two drivers who will race the GMR-001 next year. So, has Genesis managed to lure big-name talent? And does this line-up give the team any chance of fighting near the front straight out of the gate?
The final signings
For weeks or months, four of the six Genesis Magma Racing drivers had already been known. André Lotterer and Pipo Derani were confirmed last December, followed in September by Mathys Jaubert and Dani Juncadella.
A few days ago, the team also announced that Jamie Chadwick, who like Jaubert was part of the manufacturer's Trajectory development programme, would serve as reserve and development driver.
This morning, the final pieces fell into place with the arrival of French duo Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin, who until now had been representing Porsche and Alpine respectively in Hypercar/GTP machinery.
Reliable rerformers…
Jaminet (31) arrives fresh from winning a fully deserved IMSA SportsCar Championship title with Porsche Penske Motorsport's 963. After 10 years with Porsche, marked by an earlier IMSA GTD Pro title in 2022 and an ADAC GT Masters crown in 2018, he departs in peak form and with major prototype mileage under his belt.
His compatriot Chatin (34) is cut from similar cloth. A triple European Le Mans Series champion and the 2023 IMSA LMP2 champion, he gave the Alpine A424 its breakthrough win at Fuji in late September. Both drivers are proven, fast and battle-hardened.
The same applies to Derani. While labelled an IMSA specialist, the 32-year-old Brazilian left Cadillac at the end of 2023 after winning two championships with the brand. Add a 2016 Daytona 24 Hours win and four Sebring 12 Hours victories (2016, 2018, 2019, 2023), plus a Macau Grand Prix Formula 3 podium, and you get one of the most complete prototype racers of his generation.
…And some question marks
Jaubert, seen mainly in Porsche Carrera Cup before 2025, is something of a wildcard. As a Trajectory programme member, Genesis spent a full season evaluating him in LMP2. At just 20, he emerged as one of the revelations of the 2025 ELMS season.
Genesis probably didn't expect to promote him to Hypercar this quickly, but his performances forced its hand. Highly talented and smart, he'll need to cope with the pressure that comes with what looks like the opportunity of a lifetime.
Juncadella, an Aston Martin F1 simulator driver, only ended up in the IDEC Sport ORECA 07 (supported by Genesis Magma Racing) because of Logan Sargeant's surprise withdrawal. But sometimes things fall into place: the 34-year-old Spaniard seized his chance and impressed enough to earn a Hypercar seat for 2026.
Since his Macau GP victory (2011) and European F3 title (2012), Juncadella has built a strong résumé in the DTM and GT3, winning the GT World Challenge, Daytona 24 Hours, Petit Le Mans and the Spa 24 Hours with Mercedes. The big question is whether he can replicate that form in a prototype.
Then there's Lotterer, who turned 44 yesterday, the elder statesman of the team. Porsche chose not to retain him at the end of 2024, citing a lack of performance, yet his long-time co-drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Kévin Estre fought hard to keep him, evidence that he was valuable.
He's no longer the force he was in his Audi glory years, but he remains quick, deeply knowledgeable and an exceptional team player, something universally acknowledged by those who have shared a car with him. He also already knows a large part of the Genesis staff from his Audi and Porsche years, including lead engineer Justin Taylor and race engineer Mathieu Leroy.
A three-time Le Mans winner (2011, 2012, 2014) and two-time WEC champion (2012, 2024), Lotterer's experience and set-up expertise will be invaluable for a newcomer. He is arguably one of Genesis's most important assets.
A well-balanced line-up after all
"We have an amazing line-up for Genesis Magma Racing's first year in the FIA World Endurance Championship," said 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."
Abiteboul ultimately succeeded in securing the drivers he wanted, even turning down Stoffel Vandoorne after the Belgian reversed his decision to leave Formula E and focus only on the WEC. Abiteboul did not want drivers doubling programmes, so Vandoorne remains at Peugeot after all.
"The addition of Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin completes a well-balanced line-up for our debut WEC season," Genesis Magma Racing sporting director Gabriele Tarquini added.
"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."
The crews are not yet finalised and Genesis Magma Racing is still debating whether to use two-driver or three-driver crews in the six-hour races post-Le Mans. If it opts for duos, the likely casualties would be Juncadella and Jaubert.
"Chemistry between drivers is vital," Tarquini explained. "Testing will show how driving styles, set-up preferences and relationships align before we lock in the final line-ups."
Weight distribution between drivers will also matter. As things stand, likely trios are Derani / Lotterer / Jaubert and Chatin / Jaminet / Juncadella.
Have they all tested the GMR-001?
Derani, Lotterer, Jaubert and Juncadella all have. But what about the two new signings? Chatin has not yet been released by Alpine, but Jaminet already turned laps in the GMR-001 last week at Aragón, just days after his final race with Porsche's 963 in Bahrain.
"I had to adapt a little bit," Jaminet said after his first laps in the GMR-001 Hypercar.
"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," he added. "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."
Testing has been non-stop since the car's shakedown in August and will continue until the 2026 season opener at the Qatar 1812km on March 28. As a new entrant, Genesis can test without restriction until the car is homologated after technical checks at Losail.
