Genesis Magma Racing has launched the official GMR Esports Series in Le Mans Ultimate, giving sim racers the opportunity to earn a full-time seat with the manufacturer-backed GMR Esports team for the 2027 season. Qualifying begins on October 6, 2026, with eight weeks of competition using the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar before a 30-driver final series in December.
Announced on September 24, the new competition has been created by Genesis Magma Racing in partnership with Le Mans Ultimate and Traxion. Rather than offering only a conventional prize pool, the championship is being used as a direct recruitment route into Genesis’ official esports operation, with the overall winner offered a full-time driver role with GMR Esports for 2027.
The competition is open to Le Mans Ultimate players on PC and entry is free. Drivers will need a valid copy of the game on Steam and must register using a personally owned Steam account before competing through the game’s Online Championships section.
Eight Weeks of GMR-001 Qualifying Begin October 6
Phase 1 runs from October 6 through December 1 and consists of eight weekly qualifying rounds. Every competitor will drive the virtual Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar, with one circuit used each week and a maximum of three race attempts available per round.
Drivers do not need to complete all eight weeks with a perfect result. Only their best six rounds will count towards qualification, meaning the two weakest weeks are effectively dropped from the final Phase 1 result.
The qualifying calendar starts at Sebring from October 6-13, followed by Fuji from October 13-20 and Monza from October 20-27. Bahrain runs from October 27-November 3, Portimão follows from November 3-10, and the Bahrain alternative layout is used from November 10-17. Spa-Francorchamps takes over from November 17-23 before the final qualifying week at Le Mans from November 23-December 1.
GMR Esports Series Qualifying Calendar
- Week 1: Sebring — October 6-13
- Week 2: Fuji — October 13-20
- Week 3: Monza — October 20-27
- Week 4: Bahrain — October 27-November 3
- Week 5: Portimão — November 3-10
- Week 6: Bahrain Alt — November 10-17
- Week 7: Spa-Francorchamps — November 17-23
- Week 8: Le Mans — November 23-December 1
All eight qualifying circuits and the GMR-001 Hypercar are included with Le Mans Ultimate, so no additional car or track DLC is required to participate in Phase 1. This is particularly notable because the qualifiers are accessed through Online Championships, a Le Mans Ultimate feature normally available to RaceControl Pro or Pro+ subscribers, while the GMR competition itself is advertised as free to enter for owners of the game.
30 Drivers Will Advance to the December Finals
At the end of the eight-week qualification period, 30 drivers will move into Phase 2. The field will consist of the 20 fastest global competitors alongside the top 10 registered Korean drivers, reflecting Genesis’ intention to use the championship both as an international talent search and as a route for developing esports talent in its home market.
The main GMR Esports Series will then take place across four races between December 11 and December 19. Three 45-minute sprint races at Spa-Francorchamps, Interlagos and Circuit of the Americas will lead into a two-hour endurance finale at Le Mans.
GMR Esports Series Final Calendar
- December 11: Spa-Francorchamps — 45-minute Sprint
- December 12: Interlagos — 45-minute Sprint
- December 18: Circuit of the Americas — 45-minute Sprint
- December 19: Le Mans — 120-minute Endurance Race
Unlike the qualifying stage, drivers who reach Phase 2 will need access to additional content. Interlagos and Circuit of the Americas are included in Le Mans Ultimate’s 2024 Pack 2 and Pack 3 DLC respectively, meaning qualifying itself requires no DLC but progressing to the full December championship may require additional track purchases.
Dynamic Weather Will Add Wildcards to the Finals
Genesis is also planning to make the December races more than a straightforward hot-lap contest. Phase 2 will introduce what the organizers call “Wildcards,” using Le Mans Ultimate’s dynamic weather system to create changing race conditions and strategic challenges.
The intention is to test adaptability and racecraft alongside outright pace. Genesis and Le Mans Ultimate have not yet detailed exactly how each Wildcard will work, with additional information on the final sporting regulations, scoring system and tie-break procedures expected closer to the December events.
The final phase will also move away from the regular Online Championships environment and use dedicated series servers. Broadcasts are planned across official Genesis Magma Racing, Le Mans Ultimate and Traxion channels, with exact session and broadcast times to be announced later.
The Winner Joins GMR Esports for 2027
The main prize is significantly different from a conventional sim racing competition. Genesis says the winner will be offered a full-time driver role with the GMR Esports Team for the 2027 season, creating a direct route from competing at home to joining a professional manufacturer-supported esports programme.
GMR Esports already operates as Genesis Magma Racing’s official virtual racing team. Its current roster includes established European sim racers Collin Spork, Jesper Pedersen and Jernej Simončič alongside Korean drivers Hyukjin Kwon, Gyumin Kim and Youngchan Kim, with Rokyeong Kang serving as reserve driver.
The team competes with the virtual GMR-001 in official Le Mans Ultimate events, extending Genesis Magma Racing’s real-world FIA World Endurance Championship programme into esports. The GMR-001 itself was introduced to Le Mans Ultimate earlier in 2026, ahead of the manufacturer’s debut season in the FIA WEC.
Additional prizes for the GMR Esports Series are still to be announced. Organizers have also said that a possible GMR Trajectory Driver opportunity is under consideration, although that element has not yet been confirmed and should not be treated as part of the current prize package.
Registration for the GMR Esports Series is now available ahead of the first qualifying round on October 6, with the eight-week process ultimately leading to the four-race showdown in December and a place on the GMR Esports roster for 2027.
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