Genesis Magma Racing Targets Lone Star Le Mans

Genesis Magma Racing will make its first North American race start at Lone Star Le Mans, the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The team enters the six-hour event after two days of testing at the circuit in late July, focused on car setup, track conditions and high temperatures. Genesis Magma Racing is seeking to pair the GMR-001 Hypercar’s recent pace and reliability with cleaner race operations following the 6 Hours of São Paulo. The appearance also returns the program to the U.S., where the full-scale GMR-001 model was first displayed at the New York International Auto Show in April 2025.

Preparation At Circuit Of The Americas

The late-July test gave the team a baseline setup and experience with a circuit that has hosted eight previous FIA WEC rounds. High ambient and track temperatures were a central part of the preparation, with drivers and engineers collecting information on grip, tire behavior and vehicle responses.

The team brought both GMR-001 Hypercars to the finish without issues at Interlagos, its first such result of the season. Its current points-scoring finish came at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May, where the No. 17 Hypercar driven by Pipo Derani, Mathys Jaubert and André Lotterer finished eighth.

Justin Taylor, Chief Engineer at Genesis Magma Racing, said:

“We were able to get some good data from the test in very high ambient and track temperatures, which gave us a preview of how the car behaves and responds in the extreme conditions we might face during the race weekend. COTA demands a lot of different things simultaneously, but undoubtedly it is a circuit with high sensitivity to grip. To go fast we need to keep the rubber underneath us, so if it is hot we will need to actively manage the temps to be sure they last a complete stint or even a double. Choosing how to manage qualifying and finding the best way to minimize tire wear in the race will be key. We've also used the summer break to work on some weaknesses we've identified through the first half of the season, so we can continue to move forward.”

Building On Early Season Progress

Genesis Magma Racing has recorded Hyperpole appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the most recent FIA WEC round in Brazil. Its objective in Austin is to turn that demonstrated performance and vehicle reliability into a more complete result over the full race distance.

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal at Genesis Magma Racing, said:

“Through the first part of the FIA WEC season we have shown great progress as a team and have achieved many of the goals we set for ourselves at the start of the year. We are still a very new team compared to those we are racing against, but we have shown we are capable of competing with them, which is a great step forward to make in just four races. However, while we have shown great reliability and strong performance, we need to be able to put them together into the complete package more consistently. Our performance at the 6 Hours of São Paulo showed the importance of performing in not just one area, but as a whole team. The WEC is incredibly competitive – maybe more this year than ever – any mistake is very costly, so we need to make eliminating these mistakes the next step in our progress this year.”

A U.S. Return For The GMR 001

The Circuit of the Americas round gives Genesis Magma Racing a U.S. stage for its inaugural FIA WEC campaign. The country is a key market for Genesis, particularly for its SUV and EV models, and the brand recently selected San Francisco for the global launch of the new GV90 model.

For the drivers, the Texas event offers a mix of familiarity and new experience. Lotterer has won Lone Star Le Mans in the LMP1 era, while Chatin and Mathieu Jaminet have previous Hypercar experience at the circuit. Derani, Jaubert and Dani Juncadella used the July test for their first Hypercar laps at COTA.

Gabriele Tarquini, Sporting Director at Genesis Magma Racing, said:

“From a driver's perspective, COTA is a very challenging circuit. It is very bumpy in some areas and has a bit of everything, with high-speed corners, heavy braking zones and technical sections where you need a good balance between the car and the driver. It was important that we were able to test there. It gave us the opportunity to understand the circuit and car better before the race weekend, so we can arrive better prepared with a clearer direction. The key thing for us is to continue the progress we have made. In Brazil, we had small mistakes that cost us time and positions. These are the kind of things we need to avoid, especially when the competition is so close. We had some discussions with the drivers to analyze what happened, what we could have done differently and how we can improve. It is important that we learn from these situations and not repeat the same mistakes.”

Focus On A Complete Weekend

With the test program complete, Genesis Magma Racing heads into Lone Star Le Mans with data from high-temperature running and a clearer setup direction for the GMR-001 Hypercar. The team’s Austin debut will test its ability to convert speed, tire management and operational discipline into a stronger six-hour result.

André Lotterer, Driver at Genesis Magma Racing, said:

“The test at COTA was really valuable for us. Having the opportunity to run there before the race weekend allowed us to understand the track better with the GMR-001 and work through a number of different setup directions. COTA is quite a demanding circuit, with a great mix of high-speed sections, technical corners and some big braking zones, so there is a lot to get right. After São Paulo, we know there are still areas where we need to improve, and the test gave us some useful information that we can hopefully turn into performance when we come back. The summer break has also given everyone a chance to reset, so I'm looking forward to seeing how we can respond in Austin. It's a challenging track where you need confidence in the car, especially through the fast first sector. I really like that section when the car is working well; it has a great flow. Hopefully, we can put everything we've learned together and have a strong weekend.”