Genesis Magma Racing Scores Season-Best Seventh Place in U.S. Debut

[Financial News] Genesis’s racing team, Genesis Magma Racing, achieved its best result of the season at its first North American event.
Genesis announced on the 7th that Genesis Magma Racing finished in the top 10 at the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Lone Star Le Mans, held on the 6th local time at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
In the six-hour race, car No. 17, a GMR-001 hypercar, crossed the finish line in seventh place and scored championship points. It was the team’s best result since making its WEC debut this year. Car No. 19 also completed the race in 15th place, allowing both cars to finish safely.
This was the team’s second points haul of the season. After car No. 17 scored the team’s first-ever championship points by finishing eighth in the six-hour race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in May, it once again finished in a points-paying position at Lone Star Le Mans. The team said it had actively incorporated data from a pre-event test held at the same circuit in July into its car setup and tire strategy, improving its ability to cope with high temperatures and enhancing its on-track competitiveness. Experience gained at The 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of São Paulo earlier this season was also put to use in the race.
COTA is regarded as one of the most challenging circuits on the WEC calendar, combining high-speed corners, heavy braking zones and a rough surface. High air and track temperatures make tire management a key factor in determining the outcome. Despite these demanding conditions, both GMR-001 cars maintained a steady pace and completed the race. They finished on the same lap as the leader, demonstrating their competitiveness. Completing the race without mechanical problems was also viewed as a meaningful achievement in terms of reliability.
The event was particularly significant because it was the team’s first race in the United States since entering the WEC. The United States is a key global market for Genesis and was also where the full-scale model of the GMR-001 hypercar was first unveiled. The team said the event helped it expand engagement with North American motorsports fans and strengthen the brand’s presence.
Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of Genesis Magma Racing, said, "Ahead of this race, our goals were to reproduce the reliability we demonstrated in São Paulo under extreme conditions, have both cars finish on the same lap as the leader, and score points." He added, "Achieving all three goals is a meaningful result that demonstrates the team’s progress."
He continued, "Seventh place is the team’s best result since its FIA WEC debut. We will use the data and experience gained from this race to further improve our competitiveness in the events ahead."
Lee Si-hyuk, executive vice president and head of the Genesis Business Division, said, "Scoring points at the Lone Star Le Mans race is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates Genesis’s competitiveness on the global motorsports stage." He added, "We will continue to strengthen our position as a global luxury brand based on the technology and experience accumulated through motorsports."
The team plans to further improve the car’s performance and operational execution using the data and experience gained from the race. Its next event will be the sixth round of the WEC, the 6 Hours of Fuji, at Fuji Speedway in Japan on the 27th of this month. The team aims to maintain its momentum through the second half of the season.

[email protected] Kim Dong-chan Reporter