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Genesis IMSA program beginning to take shape

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Korean automotive brand Genesis’ 2027 IMSA GTP program is set to take shape in the coming months, with Genesis Magma Racing team principal Cyril Abiteboul telling reporters last week that a final decision on a service provider for the effort is expected soon. Plans for the team’s entry point into the season in 2027 are also coming together, as the testing phase for the GMR-001 LMDh reaches its final stages prior to its FIA WEC debut in 2026.

On the subject of a partner team, Abiteboul didn’t give any hints as to which outfits are still in the frame for the North American arm of the young brand’s ambitious debut sporting effort, but he did shed more light on the selection timeline. Currently, Bryan Herta Autosport is believed to be the leading contender, though key discussions are understood to have also involved a variety of organisations, including AO Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and Pratt Miller Motorsport.

“It will be in association with another team,” he reiterated. “The benefit of having our own team in WEC was clear. I can’t say the same with IMSA, which is a slightly different type of championship with its own spirit and culture.

“We want to have maximum integration. There may be engineers working on both programs, Justin Taylor (the chief engineer), for instance, as he has experience in both championships.

“There have been lots of discussions, meetings, and we’ve visited a lot of possible partner bases and facilities. I am focused on that (WEC) right now. I want to make sure that it is up and running at the right level with the right level of people. Once I have the confidence I want with that, we will make the next move, which is IMSA.

“I am setting myself the target of bringing a proposal to headquarters in Q1 of 2026 and starting to work with that partner from that point, so we can enter the championship at some point in 2027.”

Abiteboul had previously hinted to RACER back in May that Genesis may delay its IMSA debut until after the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 2027, due to the tricky timing of the event (which is held each year in January) and the challenge of starting a new program with a 24-hour race. “We’re talking about a six-month window that will extend from the end of ’26 to sort of the second quarter of 2027,” he said.

That plan has since evolved, with Genesis looking to take a more cautious approach to joining the premier North American championship. The six-hour endurance race at Watkins Glen mid-season has been tipped as the potential debut, though no concrete decision has yet been made.

“One compromise we have made is we were flirting with the idea of starting at the start of 2027, but it was always going to be a bad idea,” he admitted. “The first race is Daytona, a brutal start; you need to qualify in November. It’s stretching the calendar too much, so we will probably enter at some point, probably around Watkins Glen. That’s a possible new target in 2027.

“Making sure that this (WEC) is correct is important. If the car were unreliable, I would not start sending cars around the world. First priority is the quality of the product, then we can expand.

“We are flirting with the idea of one car earlier for all of 2027 as development, or two cars later when we are at a higher readiness level. It’s more, two cars when we are ready. We don’t have an absolute time. We’d like to be part of it; it’s a good championship, but the timing is whenever we are ready.

“We have a three-year plan with ORECA for production requirements, including IMSA. They know when to produce our cars. We’ve laid out an ambitious long-term plan. We know when we have to ship those and start testing there.”

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As it stands, Genesis hasn’t yet tested the GMR-001 outside of Europe, but that is set to change in the new year when the WEC team runs at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar ahead of the season opener at the same venue. Testing in North America also looks set to come down the line, as Justin Taylor explained at a media round table in Spain.

“Until we know exactly when and what (the Genesis timeline in 2027 for IMSA looks like), we’re not going anywhere in the immediate future, but for sure we will test in the U.S. at the unique tracks before our first race,” he said. “It’ll be something we really want to try, with tracks that have big, peculiar features.”