Jamie Chadwick steps into Genesis Magma Racing’s hypercar program as 2026 WEC reserve
Sky F1 analyst. Williams ambassador. Three-time W Series champion. Now add hypercar reserve to Jamie Chadwick’s CV.
Genesis Magma Racing has named the 27-year-old as its reserve driver for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, a move that follows an impressive 2025 European Le Mans Series campaign with Genesis-affiliated IDEC Sport. Chadwick won three races on the way to third in the ELMS standings, and she’s already had her first taste of Genesis’s GMR-001 at Magny-Cours, turning laps in both wet and dry.
“It’s hugely special to be involved in the development of the GMR-001 hypercar,” she said. “Becoming a reserve driver in hypercar is one step closer to my ultimate goal. The opportunity to test and drive more is something that I’m really looking forward to… and a role that I’m going to try to relish and make the most of.”
Genesis, the luxury brand from Hyundai, joins the WEC’s top class in 2026 with a full-factory program under the Genesis Magma banner. The core driver lineup already features ex-Caterham F1 starter André Lotterer alongside Pipo Derani, Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert, with two race seats still to be confirmed. Chadwick’s job will be to underpin that effort: heavy simulator mileage, development running, and stepping in trackside when needed. Her separate racing plans for 2026 will be announced in due course.
If you’ve followed Chadwick’s path, the progression makes sense. She entered Williams’s junior scheme back in 2019 and, ahead of the 2025 season, took on a formal ambassador role with the Grove team while continuing her growing TV presence with Sky Sports F1. On the driving side, the last two years have seen a decisive pivot from single-seaters in the States to endurance machinery in Europe—exactly the ladder Genesis wanted for its “Trajectory” program.
Her first run in the GMR-001 left a mark. “My first laps in the GMR-001 Hypercar were amazing,” Chadwick said. “It’s a really impressive car and so fast in a straight line. There’s a lot of different systems available to you as a driver, tools that you can use to make a difference. Obviously, so much is changing and evolving with every test that the team does, but it’s just a super car to drive, and a great team to be part of.”
Genesis Magma’s sporting director Gabriele Tarquini — the former F1 driver and long-time touring car ace — likes the mix. “It’s always very good to have feedback from a new driver who doesn’t know the car at all,” he said. “Jamie has had a fantastic season with our Trajectory Programme in the European Le Mans Series. As a development driver for the GMR-001 Hypercar, she will be a vital part of our team for the future in helping us prepare for events and make the progression we will need during our first season.”
There’s also a practical edge to her role. Hypercars are complex, and the testing grind is relentless — perfect for sharpening the toolbox. “The development role can also be a huge help to my racing,” Chadwick noted. “Hypercar is a step up in terms of everything that you’re learning, but you can still take that back to other categories and series just from the constant testing and working with the engineers.”
The bigger picture? It’s another sign of how endurance racing has become a magnet for big names and busy paddock figures. Only weeks ago, fellow Sky F1 pundit — and Williams ambassador — Jenson Button signed off his professional racing career at the 2025 WEC finale in Bahrain. Chadwick, for her part, is heading the other way: deeper into the garage, into the simulator room, and into a car that’ll debut against a bulging hypercar field next year.
For Genesis Magma, it’s smart list-building. For Chadwick, it’s a step that keeps the long game alive. Development roles don’t always make headlines, but they often make drivers. And if her ELMS form is any indication, expect to hear more from her once those final 2026 seats start shuffling.
