Genesis Magma Racing Completes 2026 WEC Driver Lineup
Genesis Magma Racing has completed its driver lineup for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, adding experienced Hypercar drivers Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin. They join André Lotterer, Pipo Derani, Dani Juncadella and fellow Frenchman Mathys Jaubert on the team's roster as it prepares for its competitive debut in the WEC.
Jaminet and Chatin bring deep Hypercar and endurance-racing pedigrees, strengthening Genesis Magma Racing’s driver stable as it develops the GMR-001 Hypercar. Genesis Magma Racing Sporting Director Gabriele Tarquini said: “The addition of Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin completes a well-balanced lineup for our debut WEC season. 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.”
Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul added, “We have an amazing lineup for Genesis Magma Racing’s first year in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The combination of drivers we have secured far exceeds our expectations when we began the project. It is a huge mark of the trust these race winners and champions have placed in our young team, Genesis and the broader Hyundai Motor Group. I am sure they will create huge motivation and a virtuous circle for the team that is coming together very nicely at our base in Signes.”
Jaminet has built a strong reputation across global endurance racing, first in GT categories before stepping up to the Hypercar and GTP classes in the WEC and IMSA. He won the 2022 GTD Pro title in North America and moved to the top class the following season. Since then, he has claimed five overall victories and eight more podiums, including standout results at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Genesis Magma Racing,” said Jaminet. “This is the start of a new chapter, a new history for me. This team offers me that opportunity to go racing in the WEC and hopefully in the future also the IMSA series.” He added, “I wanted to have a fresh start with new people to try to step up, but also bring my experience to a new team and work to build something incredible for the future. Obviously, the road will be long with a new team, but I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
Jaminet has contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, once in LMGTE Pro and three times in Hypercar. He also completed a partial WEC programme in 2025 and secured a best finish of fourth in Japan.
Chatin arrives as a proven WEC race winner after helping secure victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji. He brings valuable familiarity with the ORECA chassis that underpins the GMR-001 Hypercar, and he can apply that development knowledge as the team finalises preparations and continues testing through the 2026 season. With 15 top-class starts, he adds both speed and technical insight to Genesis Magma Racing’s expanding Hypercar project.
Chatin said: “I am truly honoured and proud to join the Genesis Magma Racing adventure in Hypercar. First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible. After two enriching years with Alpine Endurance Team and the recent success in Fuji, I feel more ready than ever to take on this new challenge.” He added: “Genesis is still a young brand, but its values and ambitions immediately resonated with me. I’m well aware of the challenges that await us, but I have full confidence in our team’s talent and determination to move forward and fight for top positions quickly.”
Chatin also knows Juncadella and Jaubert well after sharing duties with the sister IDEC Sport entry to the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory drivers’ car in the European Le Mans Series throughout 2025.
The arrivals of Jaminet and Chatin add momentum to the team’s development plan. Jaminet recently joined a key endurance test at MotorLand Aragón from 15 to 17 November, running alongside Lotterer, Derani, Jaubert, Juncadella and reserve driver Jamie Chadwick. The team used the sessions to build mileage and reinforce the reliability it will need for its first WEC campaign.
“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 crucial for a driver. You need to understand all the systems, all the buttons on the steering wheel and all the procedures.” He added, “I think I come in with different feedback on a few things. I'm one of the most experienced drivers with LMDh cars, and obviously, I was in a different car not long ago. I tried not to 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.”
Genesis Magma Racing management, led by Tarquini and Abiteboul, will assess driver performance, feedback and on-track working relationships to finalise the exact combinations for its pair of 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship entries. “The chemistry between drivers in the car is vital when it comes to success,” said Tarquini. “Through the tests, we can see how the drivers work together, see how their driving styles and set-up preferences match, and how the relationships begin to form before deciding our lineups for the season. The key will be to make sure we have the best possible squad of drivers in both cars to help us create the strong foundations we need as a team.”
