Genesis can also be sporty: Jacky Ickx makes this clear

The Hyundai Group has already been successfully competing in the World Rally Championship for some time, and now it is clear: the Koreans are also returning to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (F) with their Genesis brand and will soon be competing in the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship. After a thorough analysis of the options in various areas of motorsport, the company opted for the so-called hypercar series, where Genesis has the opportunity to present its sophisticated hydrogen technology at racing level.

Jacky Ickx impressed by South Korea

With his six Le Mans victories, Belgian motorsport legend Jacky Ickx, who recently became a Genesis ambassador, knows exactly what it takes to win at Le Mans. Together with his daughter Vanina Ickx, who is also active in motor racing, he revealed what it takes to succeed at an exclusive Genesis Switzerland masterclass. "Luc Donckerwolke and his crazy invitation are actually to blame for everything," explained the 79-year-old with a laugh at the start. The Chief Creative Officer (CCO) and Head of Design at Genesis and the former Ferrari driver - with 116 starts in Formula 1 - have known each other for years. "On this trip, I got to know South Korea, a traditional country with very nice people," says Jacky Ickx. "There are also people there who have made the impossible possible and turned one of the poorest nations after the Korean Wars in the 1950s into a booming economic power today!" And the people - even in a motorsport project like this - are crucial to success. "In Korea, they don't just want to be one of the best, they want to be the best," Ickx continued. "You are extremely strong when you pursue a goal together. Alone you are nobody, together you are much stronger. And if I can be an inspiration to someone at my age, all the better."

Advancing the Magma program

His daughter Vanina Ickx, who has raced at Le Mans seven times herself and contested two seasons for Audi in the DTM, was almost taken by surprise by her father's plans: "I was probably one of the last to hear about the new cooperation," she said. Her father not only provides input for a successful debut in the endurance championship, but also supports Genesis with the so-called Magma program. This is intended to drive forward the brand's technological and performance-related development; production of the Genesis GV60 Magma will start as early as 2025. "The Magma program underlines how strongly Genesis is focusing on the further development of its high-performance models. I am delighted to make my contribution to this," says Jacky Ickx. Vanina Ickx was also impressed by the plans: "Genesis is very fresh, very agile, and I felt welcome here right from the start. I was very impressed by the quality of this brand, whether in terms of technology or design."

Picnics instead of expensive motorhomes in the paddocks

During the masterclass in the Genesis Switzerland showroom on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse, where the X Gran Berlinetta Concept can currently be admired, the likeable Belgian explained: "The Genesis brand is already well known in Germany, Switzerland and the UK, but not really in the rest of Europe. By entering motorsport and the LMDh category with a racing car with hydrogen technology, this will certainly change." He made it clear to everyone why it is so important for a brand today to gain recognition: "There is no such thing as a bad car today. You used to be able to double the value of a Lada Niva by filling it up, that's a thing of the past," said the two-time world championship runner-up jokingly. Motorsport has also changed massively. "Then and now, it's like night and day. In racing today, they test a lot in the simulator, but I get sick after a few seconds," said Ickx. "I crash the car after just a few corners. For the tests, we still drove to various tracks like Vallelunga or the Nürburgring in real life."

The Belgian also revealed to those present what Formula 1 was like in the 1970s. "We used to have picnics next to the track before and after the races and of course cooked pasta at Ferrari," said Jacky Ickx. "In addition to the racing cars, the only team truck back then also contained Lambrusco, pasta, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese - and of course a camping stove with a propane gas canister to prepare the pasta." The 79-year-old remembers: "When the weather was bad, we ate between the Ferraris in the hold. That was a wonderful life. You have to dare to dream and not give up on your dream, that's very important in life. There were a lot of more talented people in my day, but there were also a lot of accidents. I simply had a guardian angel who made my career possible."

Vanina Ickx then made it clear how much the perception and image of women in motorsport has changed and said almost self-critically: "Back in the 2000s, we were only there to be pretty and to be there. Fortunately, that has changed massively. If we look at where the Iron Dames are currently racing, for example, then we will probably soon see women in F1." The former male domain of motorsport is also changing and moving with the times. "Despite climate change, interest in motorsport is still very high. And fortunately, there are also very different ways to live out your passion for cars," added her father. "We will still see very different forms of mobility, but motorsport will not die," said Jacky Ickx. "The important thing is that we simply have to continue to live out this passion!" Just as Genesis is now doing with the Magma program and its upcoming debut in the World Endurance Championship.