That said, here is a wild machine project to watch: Genesis Magma Racing is actively looking at a future expansion into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as Motorsport.com reports. Cyril Abiteboul, President of Hyundai Motorsport and Team Principal of Genesis Magma Racing, laid out the long-term North American strategy during the Six Hours of Fuji weekend while campaigning the #17 Genesis Magma Racing Genesis GMR-001 LMDh machine featuring drivers Andre Lotterer, Pipo Derani, and Mathys Jaubert.
Now, the United States is no small market for this luxury brand, driving nearly one-third of global sales volume. Even though a 2027 IMSA entry was ruled out earlier this June ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Abiteboul made it clear that pacing was everything. As Abiteboul told Motorsport.com, "Well, I think IMSA is already a very established championship, so we have nothing from our perspective."
But it's not in our hands and it's not about being happy or unhappy. I think we can also feel that we can create this momentum.
Finding the right operating model is the absolute key here, because the team definitely plans to rely on a partner team to run North American operations instead of handling a full factory effort internally. Abiteboul confirmed that preliminary conversations have already taken place, noting that they are moving at a measured pace. "I think it's about finding the right fit in terms of operating model, and that's something that we are going to probably look a bit more closely in the months to come," Abiteboul explained.
When asked if initial discussions with potential team partners had started, Abiteboul acknowledged the talks while keeping things quiet. "Yeah, we've had, but I don't want to fuel speculation through discussion until such time that we know that we are ready for IMSA," Abiteboul said. "We are making steps towards being ready, but we are not quite ready yet."
Addressing the health of the IMSA grid, Abiteboul expressed full confidence in the championship and its manufacturer engagement. A new entrant can totally shift the trajectory of a series, and this beast of a program wants competitors. "It's clear we want manufacturers to compete against, that's clear," Abiteboul said. "But it's not in our hands and it's not about being happy or unhappy. I think we can also feel that we can create this momentum."
Ultimately, securing the first step in the WEC Hypercar class remains the absolute top priority before expanding too quickly. But once that is locked down, the door to North America swings wide open.
