The driver combinations for Genesis Magma Racing’s pair of GMR-001 Hypercars were previously revealed with the FIA WEC’s provisional entry list for the 2026 season, but only now has the team formally confirmed the make-up of its crews.
In the #17, the Korean brand’s first two factory drivers, Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani, will share the wheel with Trajectory Programme graduate Mathys Jaubert. The sister car, the #19, meanwhile, will see Daniel Juncadella, who also formed part of the 2025 Trajectory Programme, race with former Alpine driver Paul Loup Chatin and ex-Porsche talent Mathieu Jaminet.
Genesis explained that Lotterer and Derani were originally expected to compete in different cars. However, through the GMR-001’s testing and development phase, according to the news release, “it became clear that the strongest option for the team was to pair the two in the #17 GMR-001 Hypercar, where their combined experience is complemented by Hypercar debutant and Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory Programme graduate Mathys Jaubert.”
Genesis Magma Racing’s sporting director Gabriele Tarquini added, “We have focused on the things we can control. In engineering, that’s the reliability and performance of the car; in team management, it’s the processes, and for me, it’s the driver line-ups.
“Each of our drivers brings something different, and that’s exactly what makes a strong endurance line-up. We have drivers whose extensive Hypercar experience has been extremely valuable in developing the car, and others who, with the enthusiasm of rookies, will help us overcome the difficulties we will certainly face during our first season.
“But beyond individual strengths, what really matters is how they work together. Endurance racing is about trust, communication, and shared responsibility for the result.”
The final piece to the puzzle in this area is whether or not Genesis will scale back to two-driver crews for some of the shorter races during the season. A spokesperson for the team told DSC that there’s no news to share on that subject yet.
Image courtesy of Genesis
