Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Monday, June 1, 2026
Genesis Magma Unveils Striking Orange Livery for Le Mans Hypercar Debut
Genesis Magma Racing unveiled the race livery for its two GMR-001 Hypercars ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running both cars in ‘Magma’ orange for the first time. The scheme takes inspiration from the volcanic origins of the Korean peninsula. The #17 carries orange Genesis lettering; the #19 uses white logos to distinguish the cars. “Magma has been a key part of our name and identity, so to bring it fully to life on track is very important,” said team principal Cyril Abiteboul. Genesis makes its Le Mans Hypercar debut on June 13–14, becoming the first Korean manufacturer to contest the race at top-class level.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Aitken and Bamber Give Cadillac Whelen First GTP Win of 2026 in Detroit
Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber gave Cadillac Whelen its first GTP win of the 2026 IMSA season at the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on May 30, leading 73 of 82 laps. Bamber started from pole—his first IMSA pole since 2015—and built a gap before handing to Aitken, who survived two late restarts to finish 6.023 seconds ahead of the #25 BMW of Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann. The result lifted Aitken to the GTP championship lead with 1,760 points, 144 clear of Laurin Heinrich. Aitken and Bamber travel to Le Mans next, sharing the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA entry alongside Sébastien Bourdais.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Garcia and Sims Survive Detroit Chaos to Win GTD Pro, Completing GM Double
The #3 Pratt Miller Corvette Z06.R of Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia won GTD Pro at the Detroit Sports Car Classic on May 30, completing a full GM sweep alongside Cadillac’s GTP victory. Sims led from the start before handing to Garcia, who navigated lapped-traffic battles and two late cautions to hold a 1.9-second winning margin. “It was a bit of a Mario Kart scene in my rear-view camera,” Garcia said of the closing chaos. The win cut the gap between the #3 and championship-leading #4 Corvette to 31 points with six rounds remaining. GTD Pro next races at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on June 28.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Tresor Attempto Audi Claims Maiden GTWCE Win in Chaotic Monza Endurance Race
Tresor Attempto Racing’s #66 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II won the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza on May 31, claiming the team’s maiden GTWCE victory in a race interrupted by six full-course yellows. Ariel Levi, Sebastian Øgaard and Rocco Mazzola took all mandatory stops under caution to cycle to the front, with Mazzola passing the #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG in the final stops. A first-corner accident at the start retired several leading contenders including pole-sitter Arjun Maini. Second went to the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER of Engel, Stolz and Auer following a recovery from 28th. The MANN-FILTER trio now leads the drivers’ championship by ten points.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Alpine Targets Le Mans Breakthrough After Near-Miss Performance at Spa
Alpine heads to the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13–14 with confidence after its strongest Hypercar weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, despite finishing 11th and 12th. Both A424s qualified on the second row; the #35 missed pole by 0.078 seconds. António Félix da Costa held the race lead in the middle hours before a late spin at Raidillon forced repairs. “Both cars were capable of finishing in the top five,” said team principal Philippe Sinault. “We must regroup for the season’s most important race.” Alpine has not finished higher than ninth at Le Mans with the A424 and targets a breakthrough result at its home race.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Ford Racing Signals Openness to Meyer Shank Partnership for IMSA GTP Future
Ford Racing director Mark Rushbrook confirmed at Detroit on May 30 that Meyer Shank Racing would be a natural partner if Ford fields a GTP prototype in IMSA, with 2028 the earliest possible date. Ford commits to a full 2027 FIA WEC LMDh season before deciding on North America. “If we do come to IMSA, then MSR would be a team that we would talk to,” Rushbrook said, citing a prior partnership with owner Michael Shank. A 2028 Rolex 24 At Daytona appearance is on the agenda. Meyer Shank Racing is seeking a route forward after Acura confirmed it will pause its GTP effort at the end of 2026.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Robin Frijns / René Rast — 35 pts
2. Brendon Hartley / Ryō Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi — 26 pts
3. Sheldon van der Linde — 25 pts
4. Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / Nyck de Vries — 25 pts
5. Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello — 24 pts
6. Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — 23 pts
7. Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi / James Calado — 19 pts
8. Dries Vanthoor — 18 pts
9. Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble — 14 pts
10. António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand 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. Felipe Nasr / Julien Andlauer — 1,606 pts
4. Nick Yelloly / Renger van der Zande — 1,552 pts
5. Kevin Estre / Laurens Vanthoor — 1,501 pts
6. Earl Bamber — 1,412 pts
7. Colin Braun / Tom Blomqvist — 1,391 pts
8. Dries Vanthoor / Sheldon van der Linde — 1,385 pts
9. Marco Wittmann / Philipp Eng — 1,383 pts
10. Tijmen van der Helm — 1,379 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. Cadillac — 1,797 pts
2. Porsche — 1,772 pts
3. Acura — 1,676 pts
4. BMW — 1,628 pts
5. Aston Martin — 1 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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