Genesis Magma GMR-001 Hypercar Aces Algarve Endurance Test
Genesis Magma Racing completed a successful first endurance test with the GMR-001 Hypercar, utilising three days from 16 September to 18 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve to verify the reliability of the entire car. The team ran continuously for 32 hours at the Portuguese circuit and treated the session as a decisive step towards the car’s Hypercar-class debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026. Engineers set out to validate every system by pushing it to and beyond the breaking point, gathering data that will shape the subsequent development phases for the WEC competition.
“The main target of an endurance test is to put miles on the car and see what problems you can generate along the way,” explained Genesis Magma Racing Chief Engineer Justin Taylor. “We’re still only six or seven test days into the development of the car, so at this stage you're hoping to have problems show up so that you have a chance to solve them.” He added that the crew could “be satisfied with the outcomes from the test” after logging heavy mileage so early in the programme and learning something new with every stint that will feed straight into the following tests.
André Lotterer, Pipo Derani, and newly confirmed Genesis Magma Racing WEC drivers Mathys Jaubert and Dani Juncadella shared time in the cockpit, with the latter pair completing their first laps in the GMR-001 Hypercar. “As a driver, you want to do good lap times so you can properly stress components with the intention of finding failures,” said Derani. “It's a brand-new car, and we need to see if the parts can last long enough. If we identify any weak points, we will we will work out what we can do to improve them. Next year, our big race is a 24-hour race, so we try to prepare ourselves for that.”
High ambient temperatures that peaked above 30 degrees put the GMR-001’s innovative cooling package through a thorough examination, alongside the 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and the rest of the powertrain. As the car ran through the night, the team also assessed the illumination from the specially designed headlights, which echo the Two-Line design of Genesis road cars. Strong light spread and clarity matter in longer WEC events because they give drivers the confidence to push in all conditions.
“We quickly realised that our lights are perfect,” said André Lotterer, the first driver to climb aboard after sunset. “It is very satisfying, because I know it's been a big topic. We decided to develop our own lights to maintain the Genesis design identity, but we also knew we needed to ensure quality. So that was very positive to be able to sign off so easily.”
Drivers completed double and even triple stints in the GMR-001, using Portimão’s undulating layout to stress-test endurance racing fundamentals. Long runs provided detailed feedback on driver comfort, enabling engineers to refine stint management for race conditions. The crew measured tyre wear across compounds in varying track temperatures and optimised energy usage to meet WEC regulations, building a clearer picture of performance and reliability for future 24-hour races.
Jaubert and Juncadella arrived at the test soon after their confirmation in the Genesis Magma Racing WEC lineup. Both progressed from LMP2 within the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory programme and adapted quickly to the more powerful GMR-001, reinforcing the decision to add them to the Hypercar squad. Their input introduced fresh perspectives while aligning with earlier feedback from André and Pipo, confirming the team’s development direction. “Driving the GMR-001 Hypercar for the first time was something very special,” said Jaubert. “It's very powerful, much more powerful than anything else I’ve driven, but it is easy to drive. It's easy to find the rhythm in it. It was like I was dreaming. Since I was very young, I’ve aimed to enter the highest class of endurance racing, and I'm thrilled to be there and to share the car with amazing drivers such as Dani, Pipo and André.” “I think as new drivers to the project, Mathys and I can support a lot with feedback,” said Juncadella. “Even though I have no experience in the Hypercar class, I do have a lot of experience in endurance racing with different manufacturers, so I’ve been working in high-performance environments for many years in my career and can bring those different experiences to the development.”
Genesis Magma Racing Sporting Director Gabriele Tarquini praised the pair’s contribution and resilience, noting the circuit’s demanding nature for driver fatigue in this type of car and the quality of feedback that helped to confirm the team’s early development work. With a robust reliability baseline now established at Portimão, the next phase of testing will focus on unlocking peak performance from the GMR-001 in all conditions, followed by further endurance runs and full operational drills to prepare for the race debut.
“Our next tests are going to be more about adding performance. We will have more opportunities to adjust calibrations, update software, and replace parts, and then continue to push forward. Then we get to put that through our next endurance test,” said Taylor.
