Genesis: Why the GMR-001 will lack pace in Imola

– First of all, a warning: Genesis will not be setting the pace at either Imola or Spa-Francorchamps. Even though the Balance of Performance (BoP) is kept secret this year, it is clear that Genesis must have the worst rating. Any assessment of the pace is therefore misplaced.

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The reason is that there is no data from last year for the Genesis GMR-001, so the performance of the best hypercars from previous races is used. Therefore, it should have the worst power-to-weight ratio of all hypercars. In terms of pace, nothing will happen in the first races.

The team does not want to be judged by that at the race debut either. A trouble-free run with both cars to the finish would already be a success in the first race. And so far, many signs indicate that Genesis can achieve this goal. So far, things are going very well, almost a little too well.

“A racing team without races is just a team”

This is not surprising, as the preparation was highly professional. Much familiar personnel was poached behind the scenes from competitors. The LMDh car has 25,000 test kilometers under its belt.

Reliability seems to be right so far with the GMR-001, as there has not been a single significant problem during the entire Imola week. “I think we lead the statistics in the number of laps since we arrived here,” said Abiteboul.

“That’s exactly what we wanted: track knowledge, driving time, and running through our procedures. We are not paying too much attention to lap times at the moment. It’s only about reliability and good execution. We have to keep our heads down, stay very humble, and keep working.”

Human factor: What you can’t simulate in testing

Now the big moment of truth is approaching. Because no matter how well prepared you are, the first race is the moment when it shows how much the preparation is really worth.

Abiteboul emphasizes in response to Motorsport-Total.com that the mental aspect is hardly replicable in testing: “You can’t simulate the pressure. The stress of having to deal with the unknown, and also the sheer endurance in endurance racing.”

In tests, you can always be a bit careless with yourself, drive back to the garage, and change small things. “We all know that you can’t do that in a race. That’s why what we have done so far is still the easy part.”

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Presentation Genesis GMR-001

Pipo Derani also sees the time pressure as the biggest challenge: “During development, you always have time to fix things. You can focus on one problem and let the other rest for a few days. The additional pressure of a race weekend gives us the ability to prove to ourselves that we can get things done within tight deadlines.”

Especially traffic on the track is a new variable. “How does our car behave behind the GTs? How does it work in front of or behind other competitors? All of this is new to us, but I think we are learning quickly,” explains the Brazilian.

A “healthy” car as a basis

It is also important for the team to appear likeable, because as a South Korean Jaebeol, there is a risk of being perceived as an unsympathetic giant. So the team held a small quiz with journalists and WEC officials on Wednesday evening, in which their own drivers also participated, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

This positive mood transfers to the team. There is a spirit of departure. Dani Juncadella is impressed by the basis of the GMR-001: “Honestly, I was quite surprised regarding the pace. It is better than I expected. The first feeling in the car is competitive.”

He emphasizes that both driver pairings are working in the same direction: “We all have very similar feedback. We have similar strengths and similar weaknesses. That is a really big positive sign because it means everything is logical and nothing is fundamentally wrong with the car.”

Cyril Abiteboul is also convinced that the performance will come: “The car is a good racing car, a good base. It is a very healthy car, the drivers feel super comfortable with it. They get what they want, and the car reacts to setup changes as they expect.”

Nevertheless, Derani warns that the track in Italy puts the car under hard strain: “The track is extremely uneven and full of curbs. Most of our development took place on smoother tracks. Imola is an even bigger test for us as a team.” Nevertheless, progress has already been made on the setup between the prologue and the first practice sessions.

The conclusion before the first real deployment remains cautiously optimistic. Or as Cyril Abiteboul sums it up: “If the staff enjoy being here and enjoy working together, I am very sure that the lap times will follow. Not tomorrow. But they will come.”

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