Genesis Magma Racing has confirmed two additional drivers for its 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar programme, strengthening its line-up ahead of the team’s debut season in 2026.
Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella will join the previously announced André Lotterer and Pipo Derani as the Hyundai-owned brand prepares to enter the championship’s top category with two GMR-001 Hypercar prototypes. Both drivers currently compete in the Genesis Magma Racing-supported IDEC Sport LMP2 programme in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). Their performances during the 2025 season have already caught attention across the endurance racing paddock.
Strong ELMS campaign builds momentum ahead of Genesis Hypercar debut in 2026 WEC
Jaubert and Juncadella have delivered an impressive debut campaign in prototype racing. Sharing their ELMS entry with Jamie Chadwick, the trio secured victories in the opening two rounds at Catalunya and Le Castellet.
They then demonstrated adaptability and composure at Silverstone, mastering constantly changing conditions to claim a third win of the season. As a result, the team sits second in the championship standings, only six points behind the leaders with one round remaining.
Meanwhile, Jaubert also made an impact at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. During the race, he recorded the fastest race lap for the #18 LMP2 entry.
Juncadella likewise enjoyed success on the world stage earlier in the year. He delivered a composed final stint under pressure to secure LMGT3 victory for TF Sport in the 2025 FIA WEC season opener in Qatar.
Jaubert embraces Hypercar opportunity
Looking ahead to his step into the top class, Jaubert expressed his excitement about joining the Genesis Hypercar effort.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Genesis Magma Racing line-up,” enthused 20-year-old Frenchman Jaubert, whose CV additionally includes extensive experience in Porsche GT machinery. “It represents a big step in my career and a chance to measure myself against the best in the world.
“The ‘Trajectory Programme’ and my experience in ELMS have been invaluable, not only in terms of learning the technical side and managing long stints, but also in understanding the teamwork and consistency needed at this level. In FIA WEC, that is even more important, so it’s great to immediately begin working with the team at the tests. Competing in FIA WEC has always been a dream, and I can’t wait to take on the challenge and contribute to Genesis Magma Racing’s success.”
Juncadella targets Hypercar progression
Similarly, Juncadella highlighted the importance of the promotion as he prepares to graduate from the LMGT3 category to the top class of endurance racing.
“It’s been my goal for the last couple of years to graduate to Hypercar,” echoed Spanish star Juncadella. “I’ve been racing in FIA WEC’s LMGT3 class, so it fits well for me to step up in a championship that I know very well and it’s perfect to do it with Genesis Magma Racing, to be starting from scratch with a brand that will hopefully be in the championship for many years.
“The testing we will do this year will be my first real steps in Hypercar. It was cool to see the car and do the seat-fitting, but I’m really looking forward to jumping behind the wheel for the first time and starting to work with the team, André and Pipo to be ready for the first rounds. Qatar will be a big event for us, as the first time Genesis Magma Racing competes in FIA WEC, while Le Mans is always a highlight of the year – I’ve done it twice already, but being in the top class will be really special.”
Early development work begins as Genesis targets 2026 WEC Hypercar debut as Trajectory Programme yields results
Both drivers will soon begin testing the new GMR-001 Hypercar. These sessions will give them their first experience in the car while also allowing them to contribute to its development alongside the experienced pairing of double world champion André Lotterer and two-time IMSA champion Pipo Derani.
Genesis hopes that this blend of youth and experience will accelerate the team’s progress before its first FIA WEC race in 2026.
Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul emphasised that the promotions demonstrate the success of Genesis Magma Racing’s ‘Trajectory Programme’, which aims to identify and develop drivers capable of progressing to the Hypercar level.
“The target was always to support drivers and give them the opportunity to prove they could step up to our FIA WEC line-up,” commented Abiteboul. “That we are already in a position where we can bring Mathys and Dani in for 2026 is massive credit to them.
“Together with Jamie Chadwick, they have adapted brilliantly to prototype racing, as their performances since the first race of the ELMS season have shown. More importantly, they have improved throughout, learning from each weekend, which is something we expect to continue with their arrival in Hypercar.
“We took some risks in looking outside of prototype racing for our ‘Trajectory Programme’ drivers. It is another risk to bring them into our FIA WEC line-up for 2026, but risks can yield rewards, as we’ve seen. In Mathys and Dani, we have two drivers who are new to Hypercar that have the opportunity to show their ability and create some surprises, just as they have done in LMP2.”
Building the 2026 team with more announcements to come
Sporting Director Gabriele Tarquini also highlighted the potential benefits of the newly confirmed driver pairing as Genesis continues to build its inaugural Hypercar squad.
“We’ve been closely following Mathys and Dani’s performance in ELMS,” added Tarquini. “They’ve done a very good job all season, constantly improving and adapting to the challenges of the series. Their relative lack of experience in prototype racing will be balanced by the other four members of our line-up, giving us a great mix of experience alongside new drivers to Hypercar who are hungry and motivated to win.
“Now that Mathys and Dani have been confirmed, we can really start working on building the team and developing the GMR-001. How the drivers work together will be critical to our success, so to begin this process so early in the testing phase is a big positive in our efforts to be ready for next year.”
Genesis Magma Racing will confirm further details about its 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship driver line-up in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Jamie Chadwick will continue to play a role in the manufacturer’s development pathway through the Trajectory Programme, with the three-time W Series champion’s future schedule set to be revealed at a later date.
