24h Le Mans
With a few weeks to go before the Genesis GMR-001’s maiden Hypercar race, the team principal of Genesis Magma Racing shares details of the fast-paced programme, the car’s excellent pedigree and the team’s approach to the race – a mixture of hope and humility. They have clearly defined goals: to learn from their experience, to demonstrate reliability and to lay the foundations for the project to develop further and for Genesis to hold its own against the best endurance racing manufacturers.
What is the team’s mindset with less than a month to go before the maiden Hypercar race?
“We can’t wait. Our plan was to be ready within 500 days, from the announcement of the programme to the first race. Everything is going to plan, but we remain humble and realistic. We’re eager to see how it turns out. We’re looking forward to going into battle with the other manufacturers. We want to gauge our limits as a team, and see what the car can do, what the engine is capable of and where we need to make progress.”
Do you feel you’ve achieved your objectives concerning the development of the Genesis GMR-001?
“We can’t wait. Our plan was to be ready within 500 days, from the announcement of the programme to the first race. Everything is going to plan, but we remain humble and realistic. We’re eager to see how it turns out. We’re looking forward to going into battle with the other manufacturers. We want to gauge our limits as a team, and see what the car can do, what the engine is capable of and where we need to make progress.”
What do your drivers think of the Genesis GMR-001’s potential at this stage in its development?
“We had good feedback from the start. The car has a good pedigree. It’s sound and well-balanced. There are no unwelcome surprises at the wheel, and it responds well to new settings. It’s remarkably well built. Oreca’s experience really shows. We’ve done a lot of work on the engine. It’s powerful, with plenty of torque. Now we’re focusing on the software aspect.”
Where do you think you rank in the Hypercar class?
“It’s difficult to say, as we’ve only done private tests so far. We have no comparison points. Our first goal, as a new team, is to be reliable and to adhere to regulations. We must be sure to make no mistakes, and hope our whole package is reliable. That said, once we get over the first learning hurdle, there’s no reason we should be completely outpaced by our competitors.”
What is your goal for your first 24 Hours of Le Mans?
“We’re aiming for reliability and a mistake-free run. A two-car finish would be out of this world. The postponement of round one, the Qatar 1812 km, means we’ll have fewer races under our belt before the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 8 Hours of Imola and the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be even more important in our preparation.”
Are you prepared to take strategic risks to make an impression at your maiden 24 Hours of Le Mans?
“In such a long race, I’m not sure you can play poker. We’ll be concentrating on the end of the race. Our engineers are experienced. They’ll make the right decisions once they’ve weighed up the risks involved. They’re not afraid to stick out their necks. We saw so last year when we won three European Le Mans Series races with IDEC Sport. Our number one objective is to learn from our experience and to cross the finish line every time.”
You’re familiar with Formula One and WRC. What motivates you most about this endurance racing challenge?
“As a motor racing fan, it’s great to try a third discipline. It’s a privilege. I’m a fan of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I’m happy and proud to be taking a major Korean manufacturer to the start of the world’s greatest endurance race. Another challenge I find interesting is the interaction, the rapport between crews. In endurance racing, the sense of unity is important and I’m curious to see how it plays out.”
What do you think of Jamie Chadwick’s progress in endurance racing?
“I think it’s great. We’re staying together this season because Jamie is racing in the European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport as well as being reserve driver for Genesis Magma Racing. I’m also demanding, because we want to go further. We want to give her the means to do even better. Potentially, we are looking at including her in the Hypercar line-up. For Jamie, it would be an achievement, but she has to pass a few milestones first. She knows what’s expected of her. It’s great to witness her progress at the wheel. She recently tested the GMR-001 and she’s already at the same level of performance as she ended last season.”
