Sitting down with Cyril, the man behind Genesis hyperspeed

We don’t often stray into the world of motor racing in these pages. Our colleagues in sport say that’s their patch, and we don’t want to stray out of our lane (as if modern technology would ever let you do that anyway).

But, just as we cover the rise of EVs and electric and battery technology on a weekly basis, we are committed to writing about engine development. More efficient internal combustion engines will be needed for the foreseeable future, I think.

And we are interested in motivation, planning — all the human qualities behind the automotive industry.

In people as much as cars.

And so, I swing on to the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar. It will be officially unveiled around April, and I understand Genesis will begin testing the car, with its high-tech V8 engine, in August, ahead of 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship racing program.

The team will compete in the WEC in 2026 and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2027.

Genesis Magma Racing has drawn together some brilliant automotive minds for its hyperspeed project, and to develop the engine.

And so we sit down with team principal Cyril Abiteboul to talk about the momentum behind Genesis’ new motorsports program, from developing the V8 to preparing for the GMR-001 Hypercar’s debut.

Wheels It’s been three months since Genesis officially launched its racing program. What challenges have you encountered so far?

Cyril I think the biggest challenge is really the time we have available. Building a path is a challenge, but also finding the right facility and building a team. We need to have a group of 60 people who do not yet exist. We also need to have the right equipment for them to operate.

Another big challenge, from a timing and engineering perspective, is the powertrain. And anyone who knows about engines will appreciate that we only had six months to develop a complete engine. We elected to go with a V8, precisely because the V8 was a great opportunity not to have to redesign a complete engine from scratch and instead take inspiration from Hyundai Motor Group’s existing World Rally Championship engine, a very competitive 1.6-litre turbocharged inline-four that we’ve been using for several years. We took that engine and made it two times four in-line, which gives us a V8.

Also, we are working with partners, and one key partner is a French company called ORECA, which is not new to this business. They have been designing endurance racing cars for decades. We are also very lucky to have them as a partner to help us and guide us in the development of the design and the performance of the car.

Wheels It sounds like you’re assembling everything quickly.

Cyril Yeah, building the team together and putting the different building blocks together is a challenge because nothing existed at first. It’s not just a car that we need to build. It’s a racing team. An organisation. A new identity.

Wheels Genesis’ entry into motorsports was kind of a surprise to the racing world. What really happened behind the scenes?

Cyril Hyundai Motorsport has been involved in the World Rally Championship for the past 12 years, during which I’ve served as team principal since January 2023 and president since January 2024. Early last year, we started to look at different options for a new venture, as we thought it was the right time to assess what could be the next chapter for the Hyundai Motor Group in motorsports. Around summertime last year, we thought that endurance racing was an interesting next step, and ever since then, things moved very, very quickly and very suddenly.

Wheels But why endurance racing?

Cyril It’s one of those classic heritage racings. We’re not just trying to build the here and now, but also a legacy. Racing in this type of championship against legacy brands allows us to immediately connect the brand with the best of the best in the most iconic racing venues in the world.

Wheels Genesis takes pride in its distinctly Korean identity. How is the racing team showcasing its Korean DNA?

Cyril We try to be as Korean as we can in both how we look and how we perform. First and foremost, we have the logo design, which is a direct reference to Korean characters. We also reference our connection to Korean culture in the team’s identity.

And as for how we perform, one of the things that indeed we like to insist upon is the speed at which we do things. There will be the car testing on tarmac a few months from now, and the car will be racing at the start of 2026. By all standards, we really compressed the timing of what is normally done to an extreme, because we also want to show the speed of Korean culture — or what I’d like to call, Genesis hyperspeed.

Wheels About the GMR-001 Hypercar? As an engineer, what’s the relationship between design and performance?

Cyril One of the most famous French aero designers used to say that a nice airplane flies well, too. And I tend to believe that. Sometimes, technical regulations can induce you to design cars that are not necessarily very nice-looking because they are extremely sophisticated. I keep thinking of Formula One because that’s where I spent the largest part of my life. There was a period of time when cars were packed with aerodynamic surfaces: lots of wing legs, shark legs and so on and so forth. But in the end, I believe there is no opposition between aesthetics and functionality. In any case, the car that wins is always the more beautiful one.

Wheels The GMR-001 Hypercar unveiled last December in Dubai was a half-scale model. When will the world get to see it full-scale?

Cyril It has to be released this year because the car will be tested in August. So the car will be revealed a bit before then, around April. We will find a great spot to introduce the car to the world.

Wheels What about the people? Where are you searching for members for the racing team?

Cyril We are looking for talent on a worldwide basis. I can already tell you that we have secured a chief engineer. I cannot disclose his name yet, but I can tell you he previously worked with some of the most successful brands in motorsports. We are only looking at the best of the best who can bring us not just talent, but also their culture, their background and their network of people.

Wheels You must be excited about your two drivers, Andre Lotterer and Luis “Pipo” Derani.

Cyril I’m super, super excited. I was just talking about culture, and from my experience no one’s more important than the drivers for building that culture. It’s essential for all of us to bring people who are not just drivers but can also embody the brand and be leaders of the team. Both Andre and Pipo are exactly that. Andre is coming from being the world champion in WEC last year, and Pipo has lots of IMSA experience. It is a great opportunity to get people behind our own steering wheel who have experience with other types of cars.

Wheels When the car starts racing in 2026, what are the immediate goals that you have in mind?

Cyril Year one will be about system and reliability checks, making sure that the performance is there. And, frankly, if we do that, we can be a regular top-five finisher. And if you are a regular top-five finisher, you can, on some occasions, be on the podium.

After that, we will take it step by step to show that we are a professional, credible force in the races, and that there is a long-term plan. There’s no point in trying to rush or burn the steps. It’s not sprint racing, it’s endurance racing. It’s a totally different philosophy.

Wheels It’s been a quick beginning for the team, but have you had any memorable moments?

Cyril I think one great moment was Dubai. What’s great about Genesis is that it’s part of a truly international group, and so many people had worked hard to get ready for the debut and announcing all the things that we announced. When I was on stage at the beautiful location of Burj Khalifa and looked at all the people, and the tower, at that sunset moment, that was really something.

But I’m very sure that there will be other great moments coming up. Every single moment where the team will be feeling that this is becoming more and more real will be exciting. I’m very sure that in a few weeks from now, if everything goes to plan, the first fire-up of the engine will be even more of a moment. We will also have the opening of our new base, which will be very nice also.

ABOUT GENESIS

Genesis is a global luxury car brand. A spokesperson for the team says it is focused on delivering “the highest standards of performance, design, safety and innovation while looking towards a more sustainable future”.

Although Genesis is owned by the Hyundai Motor Company, it was announced as a separate brand in 2015 and functions very much as a separate company.

The spokesperson adds: “Genesis designs customer experiences that go beyond products, embodying audacious, progressive and distinctly Korean characteristics within its unique ‘athletic elegance’ design identity.”

It has a growing range of cars, including the G80, G70, GV60, GV70, and GV80.

Genesis has a dual electrification strategy, for both fuel-cell and battery EVs. The G80 and GV60 have electric models.

The spokesperson adds: “Genesis has stated its commitment to becoming a 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle brand by 2030 and to pursuing carbon neutrality by 2035.”

Since its initial launch in Korea, Genesis has emerged in key global markets including North America, Europe, China, Australia and the Middle East.

genesis.com