Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert have joined the Genesis World Endurance Championship line-up for next year in the second wave of signings by the Hypercar newcomer.
The new additions follow the announcement of Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani as the first Genesis Magma Racing drivers on the launch of the South Korean manufacturer’s entry into the top class of the WEC late last year.
Juncadella and Jaubert are moving up from Genesis’s trajectory programme in the LMP2 class of this year’s European Le Mans Series, which was devised to train personnel including drivers for the WEC entry.
It remains unclear whether they will have full-time race seats in the pair of GMR-001 LMDhs or just contest the long races, the Le Mans 24 Hours included.
In the face of speculation that Genesis will go into its maiden season in the WEC with two regular drivers per car, Genesis declined to offer clarification when contacted by Autosport.
Stoffel Vandoorne, who is leaving Peugeot’s Hypercar squad after this month’s Fuji round, looks nailed in for a seat at Genesis, while Alpine driver Paul-Loup Chatin appears set for a berth in its line-up.
Juncadella gets his first top-class prototype drive at the age of 34 after nine seasons in the DTM in 2013-21, first with Mercedes and then Aston Martin.
Daniel Juncadella, Genesis Magma Racing
Photo by: Genesis
The Spaniard has extensive sportscar experience with Mercedes in the GT3 ranks, winning the 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup title with the Auto Sport Promotion team, and now Chevrolet.
He moved into prototypes this year in the Genesis-branded ORECA-Gibson 07 run by the IDEC Sport squad in the ELMS when ex-Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant stood down from the trajectory programme ahead of the season.
Juncadella, Jaubert and Jamie Chadwick have won two of five ELMS races so far this year and were the first regular P2 car home behind the race-winning LMP2 pro-am entry at the season-opener at Barcelona.
After victory at Silverstone last weekend, they lie only six points off the championship lead going into the series finale at Portimao in October.
Jaubert, 20, was picked up for the trajectory programme after finishing second in last year’s French Porsche Carrera Cup.
“The target for the trajectory programme was always to support drivers and give them the opportunity to prove they could step up to our WEC line-up,” said GMR team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“That we are already in a position where we can bring Mathys and Dani in for 2026 is a massive credit to them.”
Mathys Jaubert, Genesis Magma Racing
Photo by: Genesis
Juncadella stated that it has been his goal to move up into Hypercar after racing in the WEC for the past two years aboard a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R run by TF Sport.
“I’ve been racing for the last two years in WEC in the LMGT3 class, so it fits well for me to step up in a championship that I know very well,” he said.
“It’s perfect as well to do it with GMR, to be starting from scratch with a brand that will hopefully be in the championship for many years.”
Jaubert described the move “as a big step in my career”.
Juncadella and Jaubert will drive the GMR-001 for the first time imminently, Genesis said.
The car undertook its maiden runs at Paul Ricard with Lotterer and Derani in August.
Chadwick will remain part of the trajectory programme and details of her plans for 2026 will be announced at a later date.
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