Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Genesis Magma Racing Unveils Striking Orange Liveries for Le Mans Debut
Genesis Magma Racing unveiled the bold orange liveries that will adorn its pair of GMR-001 Hypercars for next week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Korean manufacturer’s maiden appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Both the No. 17 and No. 19 cars will abandon their regular black-and-grey full-season color schemes for a vivid orange-to-red gradient bearing Hangeul lettering for the Magma identity. While sharing the same base design, the No. 17 carries white logos while the No. 19 features orange highlights. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul said the livery reflects the team’s desire to showcase Genesis’s identity to the world through racing.
Sources: Sportscar365
McIntosh’s BMW Dons McLaren-Era Gulf Livery for Le Mans
WRT has unveiled the fourth instalment in its rotating series of retro Le Mans liveries for the No. 69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, which will carry a Gulf-inspired color scheme celebrating BMW’s engine-supplier relationship with McLaren at Le Mans in 1995. The design commemorates the BMW-powered McLaren F1 GTR’s victory that year and the subsequent BMW V12 LMR win in 1999, marking the manufacturer’s first outright triumph. The initiative was conceived by driver Anthony McIntosh, who has brought a different historically themed livery to each WEC round in 2026. McIntosh, Dan Harper and Parker Thompson currently sit third in the LMGT3 standings.
Sources: Sportscar365
Hanafin Lands Last-Minute LMGT3 Seat in JMR-Backed Corvette at Le Mans
Lorcan Hanafin has secured a last-minute place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGT3 class, replacing Malaysian driver Afiq Ikhwan Yazid in TF Sport’s Johor Motorsports Racing-backed No. 2 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The 23-year-old British driver, rated Silver by the FIA, will share the car with Le Mans debutants Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Ben Green next weekend. Hanafin made his Le Mans debut last year with Iron Lynx and is familiar with the Corvette platform from his GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup campaign with Steller Motorsport. The JMR team also confirmed Jordan Love will replace Yazid in its Spa 24 Hours Bronze Cup entry.
Sources: Sportscar365
Van der Linde Apologizes After Triggering Multi-Car Monza Pileup
Reigning GT World Challenge Europe champion Kelvin van der Linde personally visited the medical center to apologize to drivers caught up in a multi-car accident he triggered in the closing stages of last weekend’s Endurance Cup race at Monza. Van der Linde’s WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO struck Alexey Nesov’s Porsche while braking into Turn 1 on a safety car restart, launching the Porsche into Ezequiel Perez Companc’s Audi and also collecting Marvin Dienst’s Mercedes-AMG. The South African received a 155-second time penalty, dropping from seventh to 30th. All drivers escaped injury, though two went for precautionary medical checks.
Sources: Sportscar365
Ford Eyes Triple Eight Mustang GT3 Expansion to Bathurst 12 Hour
Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook has expressed confidence that Triple Eight Race Engineering will eventually campaign a Mustang GT3 at the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, potentially as early as 2027. Rushbrook said there is an ‘opportunity’ for the iconic Supercars squad, which switched to Ford this season, to add a GT3 program alongside its touring car commitments. The Mustang GT3 made its Mount Panorama debut in February with a factory HRT entry that retired on lap three after striking a kangaroo. Both HRT and multiple Supercars teams have expressed interest in running the Multimatic-built car in Australian GT3 competition alongside the GT World Challenge Australia series.
Sources: Sportscar365
Skeen Steps In for Mason at KohR Mustang GT4 for Rest of IMSA Season
Veteran sportscar driver Mike Skeen will replace team owner Ray Mason in the No. 60 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 for the remainder of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, beginning with this weekend’s four-hour race at Mid-Ohio. Mason, who co-drove with Skeen and Evan Slater at January’s Daytona opener, chose to step aside to showcase Slater’s abilities and put the team in the best competitive position. Skeen raced with the squad in January and returns to a circuit where he has a strong historical record. The Dean Martin-led outfit currently sits 28th in the GS class standings after a difficult start to 2026.
Sources: Sportscar365
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. R. Rast / R. Frijns — 35 pts
2. Hartley / Hirakawa / Buemi — 26 pts
3. S. van der Linde — 25 pts
4. Kobayashi / Conway / de Vries — 25 pts
5. Magnussen / Marciello — 24 pts
6. Fuoco / Molina / Nielsen — 23 pts
7. Pier Guidi / Giovinazzi / Calado — 19 pts
8. D. Vanthoor — 18 pts
9. Tincknell / Gamble — 14 pts
10. Da Costa / Milesi / Habsburg — 12 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. BMW — 59 pts
2. Toyota — 52 pts
3. Ferrari — 42 pts
4. Aston Martin — 14 pts
5. Alpine — 14 pts
6. Peugeot — 9 pts
7. Cadillac — 8 pts
8. Genesis — 6 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Nasr / Andlauer — 1,606 pts
4. Yelloly / van der Zande — 1,552 pts
5. Estre / L. Vanthoor — 1,501 pts
6. Earl Bamber — 1,412 pts
7. Braun / Blomqvist — 1,391 pts
8. D. Vanthoor / S. van der Linde — 1,385 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. Cadillac — 1,797 pts
2. Porsche — 1,772 pts
3. Acura — 1,676 pts
4. BMW — 1,628 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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