Abiteboul: Genesis Taking Wide Approach to Driver Recruitment

Photo: MPS Agency

Genesis Magma Racing is taking a wide approach when it comes to recruiting drivers for its LMDh program, with team principal Cyril Abiteboul explaining that the Korean brand is looking at various racing disciplines in order to form its lineup.

Genesis is working towards its first FIA World Endurance Championship season, debuting with a two-car Hypercar effort with its ORECA-chassised GMR-001 next year.

Thus far, the brand has publicly named two drivers as Pipo Derani and Andre Lotterer were both confirmed to be spearheading the car’s development last year, with both also expected to take up racing roles for the team’s debut season.

Additionally, Mathys Jaubert, Jamie Chadwick and Daniel Juncadella pilot a Genesis-backed IDEC Sport Oreca 07 Gibson in the European Le Mans Series as part of a driver trajectory program, having taken two class victories in the series already.

Although no further names have yet been officially revealed, Abiteboul hinted during an official Genesis press conference at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that ‘some contracts may have already been signed.’

Juncadella, who is currently also under contract as a Corvette factory driver, has been heavily linked to a race seat with Genesis, which is also known to have been actively targeting recruiting drivers from other Hypercar brands.

Antonio Felix da Costa, Stoffel Vandoorne and Mathieu Jaminet are among the names that have been linked to a possible move in recent weeks.

When asked by Sportscar365 what Genesis looks for when it seeks out its driver lineup, Abiteboul replied: “For sure you need experience, there’s no doubt.

“When you look at the development steps that have been made by certain cars out there, and the drivers that have been involved [with] that, that’s something you should be foolish of turning your back to.

“You can see that there is really a good group of drivers in the bracket of 30 to 35, with experience, but still a good runway ahead of them in terms of career development. That’s interesting and I expect to see this type.”

However, the Frenchman then went on to say that he aims to cast a wide net, also actively looking at other types of racing for talent.

“We also want to be open to the GT world,” he said. “Because I hear that these cars are more and more very similar in terms of driving to GT cars.

“I want also to be open to the world of Formula E. I think Formula E is the most advanced category when it comes to system development for the team, but also from a driver perspective. So that’s the sort of thing.

“Right now, I’m not thinking or looking at F1 for different reasons. It may come at a later stage in our program, but that’s a different area where we’re working.”

Abiteboul hinted that Genesis is set to reveal fresh names in September “at the latest,” with the brand aiming to align that announcement with the GMR-001’s on-track development cycle that is set to begin next month.

According to the Frenchman, it is “the plan” for its LMP2 trajectory drivers to form part of the development process, which will kick off at Paul Ricard before visiting several other European circuits.

However, he stated that it’s not a foregone conclusion they will be immediately promoted to an LMDh race role, taking Jaubert’s rapid prototype rise as an example.

The 20-year-old, who was recruited from Porsche single-make racing with only a handful of prototype starts in Ultimate Cup Series to his name, has enjoyed a strong start to life in the series.

“We stayed true to our initial intent there,” Abiteboul said. “The trajectory is to give a new opportunity to him, to Jamie, also to Dani who was brought into the program after Logan [Sargeant] decided to go and do something else.

“They all have their own set of objectives and for sure, Mathys has more than reached the objective or the expectation that we have set on him, that’s very clear.

“But still, I think for me, we should not react too quickly, there is no necessity to be too fast. We have long options [on] them, so that was always a benefit for us.

“The benefit of observing what they do, observing also how the driver market is doing. There is no time pressure.

“There is no time pressure also for him to jump into the car next year. Is it the right thing to do for him, for us? Maybe, maybe not.

“It’s not because he’s delivering right now in LMP2 that absolutely the thing to do is to promote him in LMDh. He’s young, he’s still at university, he will not escape contractually.

“Also from a business model [perspective], it’s not like F1 or a feeder series like Formula 2 or Formula 3, where costs have skyrocketed, are absolutely insane and if you have an opportunity to jump, you jump because you may not have another opportunity.

“On our side, it’s different. We can define the timing of the opportunity and there is absolutely every financial resources in order to get him to do another season of LMP2.

“We’ve got time to decide and to make sure we do the right decision for him.”

Source: Sports Car 365