Genesis Magma Racing announces key appointments at 24 Hours of Le Mans Press Conference

Genesis Magma Racing has announced the three people taking key roles

within the team in preparation for the first development tests with the GMR-001 Hypercar ahead of racing in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.

The selection is a clear indication of Genesis Magma Racing’s progress in building the team for next season, choosing the best people and partners from across motorsport to combine into an ambitious squad.

New team members bring vital and varied experience to the team. Anouck Abadie, Justin Taylor and Gabriele Tarquini will take the role of Team Manager, Chief Engineer and Sporting Director respectively at Genesis Magma Racing. The three bring experience in their roles from different realms of motorsport and will integrate into the existing team structure led by Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul and Technical Director François-Xavier Demaison.

“Anouck, Justin and Gabriele are fantastic additions to the Genesis Magma Racing team,” said Abiteboul. “They all have great experience in motorsport, which will be complemented by additional endurance racing expertise of the other team members we will recruit in the coming months. This mix, and the management structure we announce today, will be at the centre of the team through our testing with the GMR-001 Hypercar and our race team in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year.”

The new team members were officially announced in a Press Conference during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held at the Genesis Magma Racing booth in the Manufacturer Village at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Each will begin their new roles immediately, with both Abadie and Taylor already integrated into the IDEC Sport team at Le Mans to be prepared for the first tests with GMR-001.

Frenchwoman Abadie, 32, has experience of working within the FIA and with leading endurance teams in both Team Manager and Sporting Director roles. “The FIA and ACO made a winning bet when they launched the Hypercar category and seeing how many manufacturers joined since then says everything,” said Abadie. “This new project with Genesis Magma Racing gives us the opportunity to start from a white board, and we can build a strong team of motivated people who share our vision. It will be challenging for sure, that’s why it’s even more exciting. I can’t wait to see our car in action on track.”

Taylor, 44, from the USA, will arrive at Genesis Magma Racing having recently acted as Race Engineer in two leading teams in the Hypercar and LMDh categories. “Joining Genesis Magma Racing is very exciting for me,” said Taylor. “Coming onboard in the Chief Engineer role allows me a chance to develop our team and the GMR-001 Hypercar from the ground up, to be ready for the 2026 WEC season and beyond.”

He brings crucial experience of not just WEC, but also IMSA competition – critical as Genesis Magma Racing sets its sights on entering the North American-based championship in 2027.

Sporting Director joins from Hyundai Motorsport’s customer Touring Car squad.

Tarquini, 63, is one of the most successful Touring Car drivers of all time. The Italian has won the British, European and World titles, including the inaugural WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup title in 2018 with Hyundai Motorsport. Following his retirement from racing, he became Team Manager for the leading Hyundai Motorsport customer squad, helping guide the team to four titles in three years.

“When I stopped racing in 2021, the natural evolution was to work in motorsport, starting in the world I know – Touring Cars,” said Tarquini. “I’ve had some very successful seasons, but joining Genesis Magma Racing is a new challenge for me. I have a lot to learn about WEC, but I will use all my experience as a driver, a coach and a Team Manager to be prepared for next season.”

Also announced at the Press Conference were Mia Sharizman, who becomes the team’s Driver Programme Advisor, and Warren Scheckter who takes up the role of Commercial, Marketing and Communication Manager. The new team members will fit into the structure, alongside the existing staff, including those coming from Hyundai Motorsport as part of Genesis Magma Racing’s Trajectory programme.

Team building and brand updates shared with global media

Addressing the Press Conference, Abiteboul also shared news of the latest progress on the development of the GMR-001 Hypercar. Work on the car is on schedule, with Hyundai Motorsport’s engineers working through parallel dyno tests with the engine and drivetrain components. Following a successful test of the combined engine and rear transmission, the team last week began simulation testing, mimicking the strain of multiple laps around specific circuits.

As part of the expansion of Hyundai Motorsport, a new France-based subsidiary of the company has been established as part of the creation of the “Race Base” for Genesis Magma Racing. The facility will be near Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, close to Oreca’s factory, where parts continue to arrive for the building for the first two GMR-001 chassis which will be used for development testing.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motorsport will move into a new Headquarters in Offenbach and Technical Centre in Fechenheim, near Frankfurt, which will become the central base for the company’s World Rally Championship and Customer Racing operations. Combined, the French and German premises will cover more than 10,000 square metres for the nearly 300 employees, including around 50 people who will be recruited by Genesis Magma Racing before the end of 2026.

“The expansion of Hyundai Motorsport is essential to create a strong foundation for Genesis Magma Racing and the establishment of a new subsidiary in France is an essential step” said Abiteboul. “The team is being created from very strong parts. A strong chassis from Oreca, an ideal Race Base location in Le Castellet an international, experienced team of people from around motorsport and, of course, the best of the influences from Korean culture to drive us all forward at Hyperspeed.”

Genesis Europe announces major expansion

Genesis Motor Europe Managing Director, Xavier Martinet, who announced a major expansion of Genesis in Europe. The luxury performance brand will enter the market in France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, with the first deliveries expected in early 2026. The four new markets will complement Genesis’ existing networks in Germany, Switzerland and the UK, signalling a bold new chapter in the brand’s strategic expansion in the region.

The inclusion of the news as part of the Press Conference at Le Mans illustrates the close connection between the expansion of Genesis into key markets, and the arrival of the brand in motorsport, with the two areas growing together to raise the profile of Genesis globally.

“Our entry into these important markets is a pivotal moment for Genesis,” said Martinet. “We are moving now to deepen our long-term presence and commitment across Europe. This is the most significant market expansion since we launched in Europe in 2021 and is the start of our next phase of measured, strategic growth, and sporting brand direction.”