Jacky Ickx drives Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar at Paul Ricard
27/05/2026
Some motorsport moments are bigger than lap times. This was one of them.
At Circuit Paul Ricard, 81-year-old Jacky Ickx climbed into the cockpit of the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar for a symbolic test with Genesis Magma Racing. A six-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, two-time Formula 1 runner-up and Paris-Dakar winner, Ickx is not just a former racing driver. He is endurance racing history. And for a few laps, history drove the future.
A legend in a machine from another world
Modern Hypercars are not simple racing cars. They are rolling control systems, wrapped in carbon, software, hybrid logic, aero maps, switches, sensors and data. For someone from Ickx’s era: an era of instinct, mechanical sympathy and brutal physical courage, the Genesis GMR-001 must have felt like stepping into another language.
Ickx summed it up perfectly. Compared with the prototypes he raced, he described it as “day and night”. Nothing in common. Same sport, different universe. The steering wheel alone tells the story: around 18 buttons, multiple controls behind it, settings for car behaviour, radio communication, traction, balance and systems management. Ickx joked that he only needed to know where the paddles were.
A special Genesis livery for “Monsieur Le Mans”
For the occasion, the GMR-001 was dressed in a special dark blue and white livery, inspired by Jacky Ickx’s iconic helmet design. It was not just a visual tribute. It was a bridge between generations.
The car also carried subtle references to his six Le Mans victories, plus a nod to Genesis’ first WEC points finish at Spa-Francorchamps, where the #17 car finished eighth at the 6 Hours of Spa.
Genesis is learning fast
The South Korean luxury brand, part of Hyundai, has entered the FIA World Endurance Championship with serious ambition. Its early performances already show progress, including points at Spa in only its second outing.
Now the team heads toward the biggest test of all: Le Mans. And bringing Jacky Ickx into the story is more than clever PR. Ickx has been involved with Genesis as a sporting advisor and ambassador, sharing not only his experience but also what he calls his mindset and mistakes.
The hardest part? Getting in and out
Yes, Ickx had to adapt to left-foot braking. Yes, he had to manage a cockpit full of modern systems. Yes, the car felt narrow, intense and almost claustrophobic. But one of his biggest concerns was much simpler. Could he get in? And more importantly, could he get out?
That honesty makes the moment even better. This was not a staged heroic fantasy. It was an 81-year-old legend stepping into one of the most advanced racing cars in the world and discovering how much the sport has changed, while still proving that the passion has not.
Why this moment matters before Le Mans
With the 24 Hours of Le Mans approaching, this meeting between Jacky Ickx and the Genesis GMR-001 feels perfectly timed. Le Mans is not a museum. It is a living race. Every generation brings new technology, new brands, new risks and new heroes. But the emotional core remains the same: people working together through fatigue, speed, danger and pressure to reach Sunday afternoon.
That is why this Genesis moment works. It reminds us that motorsport history is not something you lock away. Sometimes, you put it back in the driving seat. Even if only for three laps.
AutoNext Take
Jacky Ickx driving the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar is the kind of moment endurance racing does better than almost any other sport. It connects generations without making the past feel dusty. It shows how far technology has come, but also how much the human side still matters.
Genesis is still building its motorsport identity, but this was a smart and emotional step. If the brand wants to be taken seriously at Le Mans, it needs more than performance. It needs a story. And for a few laps at Paul Ricard, with Jacky Ickx behind the wheel, Genesis had exactly that.
