Genesis finishes historic Le Mans debut

A Genesis race car crossed the finish line at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most prestigious endurance race, in a landmark achievement for the South Korean brand. Although only one of its two entries completed the race, Genesis became the first South Korean automaker to compete at Le Mans and finish the event.

Hyundai Motor Group said June 15 that the No. 19 GMR-001 Hypercar fielded by Genesis Magma Racing successfully completed the race in the premier Hypercar class. The event was held June 13-14 local time at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The team's driver lineup consisted entirely of international racers from France, Spain and Brazil.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the flagship race of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Teams rotate multiple drivers through a grueling 24-hour contest around the roughly 14-kilometer circuit, with the winner determined by total distance covered. The race tests not only speed but also reliability, strategy and a team's ability to cope with mechanical problems and changing conditions. Finishing alone is often regarded as a success.

Genesis Magma Racing entered two cars, Nos. 17 and 19. The No. 17 car retired after 16 hours when its suspension was damaged after striking a curb. Mechanical failures regularly end the hopes of competitors in the endurance classic.

The No. 19 entry also faced adversity. With about 12½ hours remaining, it sat stranded on the track for eight minutes before later spending roughly 70 seconds in the pits for repairs. The car returned to the race and completed 372 laps, finishing 13th among the 14 cars that made it to the checkered flag.

Genesis said the driving data and technical know-how gained at Le Mans will be applied to future high-performance production models. Hyundai Motor President and CEO Jose Munoz said lessons learned from the race would be reflected in the development of Magma performance vehicles and across the company's operations.

Meanwhile, Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. claimed overall victory after a tight battle with U.S. rival Cadillac. Toyota completed 381 laps to secure its sixth Le Mans title.


최원영 o0@donga.com