Genesis Is Going Racing At Le Mans

Image: FIA WEC

Upmarket Hyundai sub-brand Genesis is becoming a real grown-up automotive brand and finally kicking off its own major international racing team. While Hyundai has been doing the yeoman’s job racing in TCR and WRC, Genesis has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for its turn at the big leagues. This week the brand announced a program to compete in the top level of endurance sports car racing with a new LMDh prototype.

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“Genesis is proud to announce its ambitious entry into the world of endurance racing through the LMDh program,” a company statement read. “Genesis is actively exploring programs to strengthen its high-performance image, and after a thorough evaluation of various options, LMDh emerged as the most strategic choice for us at this time.

“We have carefully analyzed LMDh and found it to be a natural fit for our motorsport ambitions and a valuable platform to drive the development of future mobility technologies for road cars. Endurance racing presents an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Genesis’ cutting-edge technology, design philosophy and performance-driven character in a highly competitive arena. This project is part of our broader vision for the future of mobility.”

The brand hasn’t yet announced all of the particulars of its prototype program, and hasn’t divulged which chassis manufacturer it will partner with to build its new LMDh racer. Sources at Racer indicate the Genesis team will compete in both IMSA GTP and FIA Hypercar championships, including entries at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona, among others. The team is allegedly assembling a new race team headquarters in France near the Paul Ricard test circuit. The team will launch an LMP2 effort for 2025 in order to get familiarized with the ins and outs of endurance racing. This new LMDh program will not make its debut until 2026, it is believed.

On the IMSA side, Genesis will face off against Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Acura, and Lamborghini. In FIA WEC, Genesis will see competition from Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, BMW, Alpine, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Peugeot. Aston Martin is also expected to join both grids in 2025.