For Genesis Magma Racing and its forthcoming FIA WEC Hypercar programme, it’s a milestone weekend in Spain, as the young South Korean brand’s preparatory ELMS LMP2 campaign with IDEC Sport gets fully underway.
The handsomely liveried #18 ORECA has been put through its paces all week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya through testing, practice and qualifying.
Next up is the first race of the season tomorrow, in which it will face stiff competition from the other 12 cars in the LMP2 class, and – depending on how the race pans out – the eight ORECAs entered in LMP2 Pro/Am too.
The overarching question heading into the campaign, though, concerns its principal objective. Is this simply a ‘learn the rules and go round and round’ exercise, or are results expected?
For the nine Hyundai staffers new to sportscar racing who have been placed into the IDEC Sport team to learn the ropes of ACO rules racing, the former is almost certainly the case. There is no expectation to blow away the competition.
That doesn’t mean that there’s no pressure to perform. There is certainly a will from the Genesis side to convert this investment in time and resources into a strong finish in the championship and at Le Mans in June.
The early signs are encouraging. Hyundai’s crew has gelled well with IDEC’s and gained plenty of experience through the track sessions in Spain. There have been no major hiccups so far and the #18 completed 428 laps (1,992 kilometres) before Qualifying got underway.
It’s a different story for the three drivers concerned, though. Three-time W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick and Porsche Carerra Cup France standout Mathys Jaubert, who form part of the ‘Trajectory Programme’, head into the campaign fully aware that there’s a huge opportunity in front of them.
It’s an absolute no-brainer to be part of this
Should they become indispensable, on track and off, there’s every chance they will find themselves testing the GMR-001 Hypercar during its developmental phase and – should the stars align – racing the car in 2026 or 2027 as part of the factory roster.
“It’s an absolute no-brainer to be part of this,” Chadwick, who appears energised by her sportscar racing return after a lengthy stint in single-seaters, tells DSC. “Every time I get in the car, I feel more comfortable; it’s nice to drive. I’m learning a lot, especially about traffic and tyre management.
“There’s a lot more to come, and it won’t feel exactly how I want it to, I’d say, until we get through the first few races this year,
“But this programme is more than just racing here in ELMS. It’s an opportunity to work with Genesis and its factory drivers Pipo (Derani) and Andre (Lotterer) and work across the development of the car and simulator work.
“It’s an experience that we hope will make us ready for an opportunity when the team goes through the transition to Hypercar. The goal is to get behind the wheel of the hypercar at some point, whether that’s in a straight-line test or any chance. That’s my aim.”
What about Juncadella? The Corvette factory driver was a late addition to the LMP2 programme after ex-F1 racer Logan Sargeant decided to walk away from the sport, having initially signed a deal to race in ELMS with Genesis.
The rapid Spaniard is not part of the ‘Trajectory Programme’, but he too sees this as a chance to place himself in the shop window, both for Genesis and General Motors.
If everyone is happy with my performance, it will open doors
“Opening up chances in prototype racing is something I want to do; it’s no secret I want to be in the top class of endurance racing, and I feel that right now it’s the time in my career to think about Hypercar,” Jucandella explains. “I feel like, physically and mentally, it’s a good moment for me.
“This works because there are no clashes with my Corvette commitments. Nothing is clear for next year; nothing is signed, but this opportunity matters. If everyone is happy with my performance, it will open doors.”
For all three, the learning curve is steep. They’re new to LMP2 racing, and the competition is red hot in the ELMS. But they’ve shown already that they can adapt quickly. The #18 was always in the mix through testing and practice and will start tomorrow’s race an impressive fifth after Mathys Jaubert’s efforts in Qualifying.
The 4 Hours of Barcelona is just the beginning, though; there’s a long way to go, with another five ELMS races on the calendar and – of course – the Le Mans 24 Hours, when Genesis factory driver Andre Lotterer will join Chadwick and Jaubert in Juncadella’s absence.
“We just want to get through this weekend, see where we are at and review it,” Chadwick concludes. “We can analyse how competitive we are.
“We lack experience, but I think we have an opportunity to make waves in the championships and also Le Mans.”
Juncadella & Chadwick images courtesy of IDEC Sport/Paola Depalmas
