Why Genesis Chose Endurance Racing Over Formula 1’s Glamour

Genesis prioritizes endurance racing, citing its alignment with brand values, technical innovation, and closer ties to its road car lineup.

The Hyundai Group considered entering Genesis before ultimately deciding to pursue the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Luc Donckerwolke, creative director of Hyundai Motor Group and Genesis, explained that he weighed the pros and cons with various group leaders, including Cyril Abiteboul.

“It is evident that when we talk about high performance and discuss potential participation in motorsport, with individuals—key individuals—with a certain experience in motorsport and Formula 1, we naturally talked about F1,” said Donckerwolke.

“But it’s clear we decided to focus on endurance. Time will tell. But first and foremost, we have a mission, and that mission is endurance. We’ll meet again in a few years and reassess, but for now, it’s very clear. Our mission is endurance.”

Genesis aims to establish a connection between competition and road cars, as the brand is positioned at the top of the range: “I think the first goal is to have a direct relationship with our range of cars.”

“It’s much closer, and the audience is also closer to the type of vehicles we sell. We felt that endurance racing aligns with our brand values.”

“We don’t want to engage in motorsport the same way as others. We are more than just an automotive brand. We have a wealth of technology and potential we want to apply, not only to vehicles but also to the environment and sustainability.”

“Our objective is to implement, for example, a more sustainable logistics system using hydrogen. We have Boston Dynamics through robotics, aiming to simplify and improve the crew’s life by assisting them with robotics.”

“There are many things we want to apply. This is not just a marketing tool but a serious discussion, as we aim to bring additional value to our motorsport program.”

The hybridization of the WEC was one of the convincing arguments: “It is very important for us to race and achieve a return on investment. And by that, I don’t mean marketing or anything else. I’m talking about technological expertise and design inspiration.”

“We are entering a phase where everything is possible with new powertrains, so it’s the right moment to, let’s say, gain a different perspective, to inspire us. This is one of the key motivations for entering this motorsport category.”

“There is also the aerodynamic research we are conducting, which is more applicable than, for example, if you were involved in open-wheel racing. That’s a completely different discipline, and the lessons are harder to transfer to normal vehicles, which are our core business.”

Genesis made its presence felt in the Gran Turismo game with a Vision concept designed specifically for Polyphony Digital’s title. Donckerwolke confirms this aligns with the brand and project’s philosophy.

“This is why we believe in endurance racing, and also because we have always positioned our cars as somewhat Grand Touring cars, Gran Turismo cars, for gentleman drivers.”

“And that’s actually the essence of endurance racing. It’s the discipline of gentleman drivers. So we believe there is absolute compatibility from that perspective as well.”

He affirms that everything aligns with a single, coherent strategy: “This is a branding strategy. I think what we are doing and announcing now is completely logical from a branding perspective. And I believe that’s the goal for these days, these years, and it is more than sufficient to execute it properly.”