LE CASTEELET, France, Sept. 24, 2026 — Genesis Magma Racing has launched the GMR Esports Series, working in close partnership with Le Mans Ultimate and leading Sim Racing and Esports media website, Traxion. The series aims to uncover fresh Esports talent, with the winning driver from the final phase set to be given a place in the official GMR Esports team, offering drivers to go from their home to a professional, manufacturer-supported program.

Qualifiers and Series Designed to be a Complete Test

The creation of the series deepens the relationship between Genesis Magma Racing and Le Mans Ultimate — the official game of the FIA World Endurance Championship — and adds to the team’s commitment to Esports.

The series will begin on Oct. 6, with eight weeks of Qualifiers, featuring races on a different free-to-play circuit each week. For each the competitors will be locked to the game’s version of the GMR-001 Hypercar, originally introduced to the game in April this year, ahead of Genesis Magma Racing’s debut FIA WEC race.

Competing in races via Le Mans Ultimate’s Online Championship tab, players will be able to join a maximum of three races per week. Only a player’s best six of the eight weeks will be counted in the standings which decide who progresses to Phase 2.

The fastest 20 global drivers and top 10 Korean registered drivers, based on the best race results from Phase 1 events, will then progress through to the main GMR Esports Series set to begin in December. Over the course of four races — three sprint events, and a two-hour endurance race — drivers will have to prove their ability, not just to drive fast, but also to adapt to ‘Wildcards’: challenges and changing conditions generated by Le Mans Ultimate’s dynamic weather capability.

“The GMR Esports Series has been designed as a thorough test of drivers in Le Mans Ultimate,” explained GMR Esports driver Collin Spork. “Working with the Motorsport Games team behind Le Mans Ultimate, we want to find the drivers who are not only the fastest, but also those who navigate the different kinds of challenges found in endurance racing. We expect the Qualifiers and the GMR Esports Series to be incredibly competitive. I’m really excited to see how the series plays out.”

The winning driver from the GMR Esports Series will join GMR Esports roster of drivers. The team is currently represented by six drivers, divided evenly between drivers from Europe – Collin Spork (Netherlands), Jesper Pedersen (Denmark) and Jernej Simončič (Slovenia) and South Korea — Hyukjin Kwon, Gyumin Kim, Youngchan Kim, and reserve driver Rokyeong Kang. The team competes using the GMR-001 Hypercar in the official special events held on Le Mans Ultimate, as well as the Virtual Motorsport series where drivers from the team are regular podium finishers.

GMR Esports Series Schedule

Qualifiers

GMR Esports Series

To find more information about the GMR Esports Series, and to enter, visit the Traxion GMR Esports Series Hub here.

ㅤ

LE CASTELLET, France, May 7, 2026 — Genesis Magma Racing has entered the realm of esports and sim racing for the first time with the launch of GMR Esports. The expansion into esports is a key part of Genesis’ goal to increase awareness of the brand and Genesis Magma Racing among a diverse audience, including further raising the profile of the team in South Korea. 

Esports Squad Supports Main Goals of Team 

The team will compete in official esports events organized on the official game of the series, Le Mans Ultimate, developed by Motorsport Games, including Online Championships, World Endurance Championship Special Events and future official esports competitions. 

In joining these events, GMR Esports will support the work of Genesis Magma Racing. The Esports team will compete in virtual models of the same GMR-001 Hypercar from the WEC, carrying a similar distinctive livery as their on-track counterparts. The team’s presence in the events will help further expand the awareness of the Genesis brand outside of the traditional motorsport audience, just as Genesis Magma Racing aims to expand the following of the manufacturer with its more performance-orientated image and approach. 

Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Genesis Magma Racing is a large project and we want to be successful everywhere we compete, including with GMR Esports. The creation of GMR Esports makes the team, GMR-001 Hypercar and the Genesis brand more accessible to a wider audience and the success of our drivers in online competition will complement the work of the race team on track.” 

He continued: “Esports is increasingly becoming an entry point to motorsport, so it is very important to have Genesis and Genesis Magma Racing represented there. Esports provides a gateway for would-be drivers to develop their talents, prove themselves to teams in official events, and build a professional racing career. If GMR Esports and our work with Le Mans Ultimate can provide a route for new drivers and fans, then we can certainly take that as a positive, on top of any event results.” 

The launch of GMR Esports builds on Genesis Magma Racing’s existing partnership with Motorsport Games, with Le Mans Ultimate branding featured on the GMR-001 Hypercar. This close collaboration has already enabled the GMR-001 Hypercar to be brought to Le Mans Ultimate ahead of its first competitive outing, giving fans an early opportunity to experience the car in action and underlining a shared commitment to authenticity. 

Virtual and Real-world Racing Experience Combined 

GMR Esports is made of a stable of seven drivers — six main drivers and one reserve, similar to the makeup of the Genesis Magma Racing FIA World Endurance Championship team. The esports drivers are a mix of European and Korean talent and blend proven professional virtual racing and real-world experience, including competing in some of the biggest races in the world. 

The team is led by Dutchman Collin Spork. A former Formula Sim Racing World Champion and a Virtual Endurance World Championship winner in the Hypercar category, Spork combines elite-level sim racing with ongoing work supporting professional race teams as a Simulation and Development Driver. He brings a strong focus on detail and collaboration, helping translate simulator learning into actionable performance gains. 

As well as a driving role, Spork will also take on the technical and development lead within the team. Spork said: “This program is about more than just results — it’s about building a team that can push the limits of the GMR-001 Hypercar in the virtual world and feed that learning back into everything Genesis Magma Racing stands for. Le Mans Ultimate gives us a platform that rewards detail, discipline and teamwork, and that’s exactly the environment we want to develop in. My focus is to make sure we arrive prepared, keep improving every session and represent the Genesis brand with the same professionalism and ambition you see on track.” 

Further leadership is provided by Nissan GT Academy alumni Jesper Pedersen and Slovenian Jernej Simončič, two of endurance sim racing’s most established competitors. Pedersen is an Endurance eRacing World Champion and a Virtual Endurance Championship Division 1 GT3 champion and also a Le Mans Virtual Bahrain 8 Hours overall winner. Alongside his esports record, the Dane brings real-world experience including Formula Ford and national endurance racing. 

Simončič has built a reputation as one of the standout drivers in global esports, with multiple Formula Sim Racing World Championship titles and a record of winning at the highest level across formats, including major LAN finals. He also brings proven endurance credentials highlighted by podium finishes in virtual editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and front-running results in the Virtual Endurance Championship. 

Korean Talent Expands Aims of Program 

Genesis Magma Racing’s expansion into esports also provides a new avenue for the team to connect with its growing Korean audience. “GMR Esports and Genesis Magma Racing will work together to achieve our shared goals,” said Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul. “There is no WEC round in the country, but esports are very popular in South Korea. GMR Esports gives us a new, key way to engage with our Korean audience, making Genesis Magma Racing, Genesis and motorsport far more accessible to the new fans we aim to create.” 

Taking advantage of a strong talent pool in the country, four South Korean drivers have been selected to be part of the GMR Esports lineup: Hyukjin Kwon, Gyumin Kim and Youngchan Kim. All three have virtual racing experience, including representing South Korea in the esports disciplines of the FIA Motorsport Games, where Gyumin Kim claimed the Bronze Medal in the F4 class. All three drivers are also regulars in the Hyundai N Festival race series. 

Hyukjin was a four-time race winner in the N2 class of the Hyundai N Festival last year. Gyumin is a former N1 class champion, the highest category in the series, having claimed the title in 2024 before Youngchan went on to secure the championship last season. The success of Gyumin and Youngchan has also led them onto the international stage: in 2025, Gyumin made his debut in the U.S.-based TC America series, while both drivers have become regulars at the Nürburgring 24 Hours where they will make their third and second starts respectively next week. 

The team is completed by Reserve Driver Rokyeong Kang, a 17-year-old rising talent. With experience in virtual competition such as the Hyundai N Virtual Cup, Kang also gained real-world race experience in the Hyundai N Festival, including competition in the N1 class where he secured a victory in the N1 Club category last season. He is viewed as a high-potential prospect for the future of the program.