Genesis GMR-001 completes first shakedown

Text: Rick Kiewiet

Images: Genesis, Rick Kiewiet

In bare carbon and stripped of any branding, the Genesis GMR-001 made its first steps into the world this month. The shakedown, though modest in mileage, was anything but small in significance. For Genesis Magma Racing, it marked the point where concepts and renderings finally gave way to something tangible: a working Hypercar ready to begin its journey towards the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026.

The car – the first of three development chassis to be built by chassis builder ORECA who also builds the Acura, Alpine and Ford hypercars – was delivered to Genesis’ newly opened race base at Circuit Paul Ricard earlier this month, before being fired up and handed to factory drivers André Lotterer and Pipo Derani for its first laps. Both had already spent hours in the simulator, refining a baseline set-up for the shakedown, which was designed to validate core systems. Although not officially confirmed, from the blue lines on the tarmac it appears the shakedown took place at Paul Ricard, a stone-throw away from Genesis' new race base.

Team principal Cyril Abiteboul described the moment as “incredibly exciting” after eight months of planning. For technical director FX Demaison, the significance lies in what comes next: an intensive European testing campaign throughout 2025 to refine the car ahead of homologation.

In its raw carbon finish, the GMR-001 hints at its future. It might be that its race livery could draw inspiration from Genesis Magma Racing’s Le Mans LMP2 entry – a somewhat conservative scheme that may soon find its way onto the Hypercar grid. We hope for a more exciting paint job.

For now, the project is on schedule. The team’s new facility is taking shape, the first chassis is complete, and the first laps are in the books. From here, Genesis embarks on the long road to its WEC debut – and the world has had its first glimpse of what’s to come.