[Report] Genesis Aims to Become a New Endurance Racing Powerhouse... The Heart of Genesis Motorsport, 'GMR Workshop'

Genesis Motorsport R&D Headquarters
Competing With the World's Top Brands in Endurance Racing
Applying Motorsport Expertise to Production Vehicles

"Ready, start!"

At the signal, the area around the racing car instantly shifts into battle mode. While the refueling staff connects the hose to fill the tank, other team members begin the driver change. As the outgoing driver gets out of the seat, the new driver quickly gets in, and the staff fasten the seatbelt at lightning speed. The moment the cockpit door closes, four staff members simultaneously use roaring drills to start changing the tires. The entire process, from refueling to driver swap and tire replacement, is completed within 40 seconds. It was a moment that showcased superhuman teamwork.

This process is a training exercise designed to prepare for when the car enters the maintenance area, known as the "pit," during an actual race. In real competition, the team's final result depends on how quickly and accurately they can perform maintenance, tire changes, refueling, and setup adjustments. To achieve speed and precision, the team repeatedly practices these procedures.

Magma Racing Team staff members conducting vehicle maintenance 'pit-in' training. Photo by Joint Press Corps

On November 20 (local time), we visited the Genesis Magma Racing engineering and operations hub, the "GMR Workshop," located in Le Castellet, France. This is a key base established by Genesis to make a full-scale entry into the world of high-performance endurance racing, serving as the birthplace for the development and testing of Genesis motorsport vehicles.

The GMR Workshop, with two above-ground floors and one basement level, covers a total floor area of 2,949 square meters (892 pyeong) and is staffed by around 50 professionals. Here, Genesis is meticulously preparing for its entry into motorsports.

Upon entering the first floor, we saw actual parts of racing vehicles on display, including the engine-the "heart" of the race car. Genesis is currently conducting intensive vehicle testing with the goal of participating in the 2026 World Endurance Championship (WEC). Justin Taylor, Chief Engineer at GMR, stated, "We have developed a new 3.2-liter twin-turbo engine for endurance racing," and emphasized, "We recently completed a successful 30-hour endurance test, confirming performance that exceeds the standards of the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

Some of the actual endurance race vehicles exhibited at the Genesis Magma GMR Workshop. Photo by Woo Suyeon

Genesis has made a remarkable impression on the global endurance racing stage just over a year after entering motorsports with its high-performance brand, Magma. The company also displayed confidence in competing with the world's top brands. Gabriel Tarquini, GMR Sports Director, stressed, "We will prove Genesis's endurance competitiveness on a stage where world-class brands such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, BMW, and McLaren compete."

In December last year, Genesis officially announced its entry into motorsports at the "Genesis Motorsport Premier" event in Dubai, where the Genesis Magma Racing Team was unveiled for the first time. Then, in April this year in New York, Genesis drew attention by unveiling the actual design of the "GMR-001 hypercar," which embodies the brand's high-performance technology and aesthetics, for the first time in the world.

This year, Genesis entered the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 class, putting its car to the test in real competition. In its debut at the season opener in Barcelona, Spain, the team won its class and finished second overall. In June of the same year, Genesis made its presence known by debuting its LMP2 car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the world's top three motorsport events.

Genesis plans to continue its challenge on the global motorsport stage, aiming to enter the WEC Hypercar class in 2026 and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2027.

Magma Racing Team staff members conducting vehicle maintenance 'pit-in' training. Photo by Soo-Yeon Woo

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.