24h Le Mans
In the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jacky Ickx plays a starring role. But now is not the time for reminiscence. The six-time Le Mans winner recently took the wheel of the Genesis Magma Racing Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Few people share Jacky Ickx’s experience of the 24 Hours of Le Mans He has tamed those dark nights, with their endless silences, and rekindled dampened spirits at dawn. As six-time winner, he features in the race annals. Not all motorsport moments make history. But some are momentous. This was one of them.
Presented with the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar complete with special livery — dark blue with a white stripe, like his helmet design — Jacky Ickx encountered the invisible bond that unites generations of endurance racing.
In the garage, time stood still. Man meets machine. A modern Hypercar, honed for performance, exuding character and soul. His name written on the side a link between what was and what is already becoming.
The highlight was what came next. Jacky Ickx settled himself in the cockpit of the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar for a few laps of Circuit Paul Ricard. A Le Mans legend at the wheel of a modern-day Hypercar: you need to pinch yourself! And yet the moment was typical of endurance racing.
Le Mans never stands still. This race lasts 24 hours, a lifetime, and beyond. Year after year, the relay baton is passed on from one generation to the next.
Jacky Ickx wasn’t just driving a car. He was interacting with an era. Dancing with the discipline whose legacy he helped build. Encountering the future that’s almost here, and never forgets how far it has come.
Emotion is timeless. “It’s indescribable. When the door opened I wasn’t expecting anything of the sort,” said the Belgian. I was extremely touched to see the Genesis Magma Racing Hypercar in dark blue with a white stripe. But the most important thing is to live in the present. To share the passion for motor racing with others, to share the human aspect – it was one of the most important moments I’ve ever known. This team gave me something unique. You dream... and sometimes dreams come true. But I can tell you now, I won’t be taking part in the race next year!”
With only two weeks to go before the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10–14 June 2026), the encounter between Jacky Ickx and the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar is a reminder of why this race continues to send pulses racing. It’s because memory isn’t a museum. It’s an energy. And sometimes it sits in the driving seat again.
