Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert have joined the Genesis World Endurance Championship line-up for subsequent 12 months within the second wave of signings by the Hypercar newcomer.
The brand new additions comply with the announcement of Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani as the primary Genesis Magma Racing drivers on the launch of the South Korean producer’s entry into the highest class of the WEC late final 12 months.
Juncadella and Jaubert are shifting up from Genesis’s trajectory programme within the LMP2 class of this 12 months’s European Le Mans Collection, which was devised to coach personnel together with drivers for the WEC entry.
It stays unclear whether or not they may have full-time race seats within the pair of GMR-001 LMDhs or simply contest the lengthy races, the Le Mans 24 Hours included.
Within the face of hypothesis that Genesis will go into its maiden season within the WEC with two common drivers per automotive, Genesis declined to supply clarification when contacted by Motorsport.com.
Stoffel Vandoorne, who’s leaving Peugeot’s Hypercar squad after this month’s Fuji spherical, appears nailed in for a seat at Genesis, whereas Alpine driver Paul-Loup Chatin seems set for a berth in its line-up.
Juncadella will get his first top-class prototype drive on the age of 34 after 9 seasons within the DTM in 2013-21, first with Mercedes after which Aston Martin.
Daniel Juncadella, Genesis Magma Racing
Picture by: Genesis
The Spaniard has in depth sportscar expertise with Mercedes within the GT3 ranks, successful the 2022 GT World Problem Europe Endurance Cup title with the Auto Sport Promotion crew, and now Chevrolet.
He moved into prototypes this 12 months within the Genesis-branded ORECA-Gibson 07 run by the IDEC Sport squad within the ELMS when ex-Method 1 driver Logan Sargeant stood down from the trajectory programme forward of the season.
Juncadella, Jaubert and Jamie Chadwick have gained two of 5 ELMS races up to now this 12 months and have been the primary common P2 automotive residence behind the race-winning LMP2 pro-am entry on the season-opener at Barcelona.
After victory at Silverstone final weekend, they lie solely six factors off the championship lead going into the collection finale at Portimao in October.
Jaubert, 20, was picked up for the trajectory programme after ending second in final 12 months’s French Porsche Carrera Cup.
“The goal for the trajectory programme was at all times to help drivers and provides them the chance to show they might step as much as our WEC line-up,” mentioned GMR crew principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“That we’re already able the place we are able to deliver Mathys and Dani in for 2026 is a large credit score to them.”
Mathys Jaubert, Genesis Magma Racing
Picture by: Genesis
Juncadella acknowledged that it has been his objective to maneuver up into Hypercar after racing within the WEC for the previous two years aboard a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R run by TF Sport.
“I’ve been racing for the final two years in WEC within the LMGT3 class, so it matches effectively for me to step up in a championship that I do know very effectively,” he mentioned.
“It’s excellent as effectively to do it with GMR, to be ranging from scratch with a model that can hopefully be within the championship for a few years.”
Jaubert described the transfer “as a giant step in my profession”.
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Juncadella and Jaubert will drive the GMR-001 for the primary time imminently, Genesis mentioned.
The automotive undertook its maiden runs at Paul Ricard with Lotterer and Derani in August.
Chadwick will stay a part of the trajectory programme and particulars of her plans for 2026 might be introduced at a later date.
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