Jaminet, Chatin join Genesis Hypercar program

Reigning IMSA GTP champion Mathieu Jaminet has officially joined Genesis Magma Racing for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season, along with former Alpine Endurance Team WEC driver Paul-Loup Chatin.

Jaminet and Chatin will be behind the wheel of the new GMR-001 Hypercar for Genesis’ first WEC campaign, joining a star-studded first team of drivers that includes André Lotterer, Pipo Derani, Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert, plus reserve driver Jamie Chadwick.

“We have an amazing line-up for Genesis Magma Racing’s first year in the FIA World Endurance Championship,” said GMR team principal Cyril Abiteboul. “The combination of drivers that we have secured far exceeds any expectation we had when we began the project.

"It is a huge mark of the trust these race winners and champions have placed in our young team, Genesis and the broader Hyundai Motor Group. I am sure they will create huge motivation and a virtuous circle for the team that is coming together very nicely at our base in Signes (France).”

Mathieu Jaminet (left) and Paul-Loup Chatin

Jaminet joins Genesis after a six-year stay as a Porsche factory racing driver, and more than a decade of driving for the marque going back to his Porsche Carrera Cup debut in 2015. He tested the GMR-001 for the first time earlier this week at MotorLand Aragón.

During his time with Porsche, Jaminet won championships in IMSA’s two all-pro categories – GTD PRO in 2022, and GTP in 2025, both times alongside Matt Campbell. He spent three seasons driving for the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team in IMSA, helping the Porsche 963 to capture back-to-back IMSA teams’ and manufacturers’ championships.

Jaminet also raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times with Porsche Penske, finishing sixth overall in last year’s race.

“I’m very happy to be joining Genesis Magma Racing,” Jaminet said. “This is the start of a new chapter, a new history for me. This team offers me that opportunity to go racing in the WEC and hopefully in the future also the IMSA series.

“I wanted to have a fresh start with new people to try to step up but also bring my experience to a new team and work to build something incredible for the future. Obviously, the road will be long with a new team but I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

About his first testing experience and the differences from the 963, Jaminet noted, “I had to adapt a little bit. The car requires a different driving style compared to what I am used to. It seems to like nice big corners. It's actually quite nice. At this stage every lap is really important for a driver. You need to understand all the systems, all the buttons on the steering wheel and all the procedures.

“I think I come in with different feedback on a few things. I'm one of the most experienced drivers with LMDh cars and obviously I was in a different car not long ago. I tried to not get too much feedback from the other drivers – I really wanted to make my opinion, also for the engineers. The idea was not to provide me with too much information to really start from a white sheet of paper to tell them what I think.”

Chatin arrives after spending two seasons driving the Alpine A424, which is built on the same ORECA-supplied "spine" as the GMR-001. He drove the A424 to its first-ever victory in the 2025 6 Hours of Fuji back in September.

“I am truly honored and proud to join the Genesis Magma Racing adventure in Hypercar,” said Chatin. “First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible. After two enriching years with Alpine Endurance Team and the recent success in Fuji, I feel more ready than ever to take on this new challenge

“Genesis is still a young brand, but its values and ambitions immediately resonated with me. I’m well aware of the challenges that await us, but I have full confidence in our team’s talent and determination to quickly move forward and fight for top positions.”

All that remains to decide before Genesis Magma Racing makes its WEC debut during the Qatar 1812 Km on March 28th is how Genesis’ six drivers will be distributed. The manufacturer had previously hinted at only running two drivers per car in the shorter WEC races.

“The chemistry between drivers in the car is vital when it comes to success,” said Gabriele Tarquini, the team's sporting director. “Through the tests we can see how the drivers work together, see how their driving styles and setup preferences match, and how the relationships begin to form before deciding our line ups for the season. The key will be to make sure we have the best possible squad of drivers in both cars to help us create the strong foundations we need as a team.”