The second round of the Asian Le Mans Series is set for this weekend at the Fuji circuit in Japan. After Spirit of Race's win in China, many teams will be vying for victory to remain contenders in the championship, so this race is sure to be a stunner!

Le Mans Series

Asian Le Mans

Genesis, Hyundai's luxury line, intends to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and FIA World Endurance Championship in Hypercar in 2026. The carmaker's ambitious programme is supported by a strategic partnership with the French team IDEC Sport recognised for its expertise in the LMP2 category.

<a href="https://www.idecsport.com/en/" target="_blank">IDEC Sport</a>&nbsp;has evolved into a key player in endurance racing since its&nbsp;formation&nbsp;in 2015. On the back of several successes, including a title in the 2019&nbsp;European Le Mans Series, two&nbsp;pole positions in&nbsp;LMP2 at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans (2018 and&nbsp;2023) and a third place finish this year, Patrice Lafargue&#39;s team has continued to give&nbsp;the top competitors in the field a run for their money. The outfit&#39;s results demonstrate technical competence and strategey, both major advantages&nbsp;in supporting Genesis in its move&nbsp;into the Hypercar category.

Patrice Lafargue, IDEC Sport president: &quot;...seeing a marque&nbsp;like Genesis rely on our expertise is proof we&rsquo;ve been doing things the right way.&quot;&nbsp;This recognition is both a mark of confidence and a springboard towards new horizons for the French team.

<h2>First on the Agenda: LMP2 in the&nbsp;European Le Mans Series&nbsp;</h2>

Above and beyond its&nbsp;success in competition, IDEC Sport stands out for its focus on human relations. Lafargue: &quot;I&rsquo;ve always prioritised the human element, and I continue to believe it&rsquo;s the most important aspect.&quot;&nbsp;This philosophy&nbsp;aligns&nbsp;with the values ​​of Genesis, known for&nbsp;developing its talents internally, and was&nbsp;a determining factor in solidifying the&nbsp;partnership.

The objective is clear: provide Genesis Magma Racing with an environment conducive to team learning. IDEC Sport will play a guiding role in mentoring Genesis&rsquo; young talents so they are primed&nbsp;to take on the challenges of the Hypercar category.

Genesis has opted for a progressive strategy in its preparation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/genesis-takes-the-wraps-of-its-gmr-001-hypercar-59196" target="_blank">to enter the highest level of endurance racing</a>. In 2025,&nbsp;Genesis Magma Racing will make its debut in the&nbsp;European Le Mans Series alongside IDEC Sport with two ORECA&nbsp;07-Gibsons. That rookie&nbsp;season will be a crucial step in training drivers, engineers and mechanics for the demands of endurance racing.

Cyril Abiteboul, Hyundai Motorsport president: &quot;We have exceptional partners in this programme with ORECA Motorsport&nbsp;and IDEC Sport, both well-established names in endurance racing, as well as an exciting lineup of drivers.&quot;&nbsp;The recruiting of&nbsp;Logan Sargeant, Jamie Chadwick and Mathys Jaubert reflects the&nbsp;desire to build a strong and promising team for the future.

<h2>Customised Support for Genesis Magma Racing</h2>

IDEC Sport&#39;s expertise isn&#39;t limited simply to race management. The French team has also been entrusted to develop the&nbsp;key skills of Genesis crew, from its engineers to its technicians. Nicolas Minassian, IDEC Sport team principal: &quot;Our&nbsp;mission will be to give them the benefit of our expertise so&nbsp;they are ready for 2026. We have started work, and I can&rsquo;t wait&nbsp;to see the cars on the starting grid for the first race of the 2025.&quot;

The&nbsp;second car will be driven by&nbsp;Lafargue, Job van Uitert (who joined the team this year)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Paul-Loup Chatin (Alpine&nbsp;Hypercar driver).

IDEC Sport will celebrate&nbsp;its 10th anniversary in 2025 by writing a new chapter in its history. For&nbsp;Genesis, this&nbsp;is an opportunity to draw on tried-and-true&nbsp;expertise and prepare its crews for success on an international level.

<h2>FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About the collaboration Between&nbsp;Genesis Magma Racing and&nbsp;IDEC Sport in endurance Racing</h2>

Why has Genesis Magma Racing decided to partner up with&nbsp;IDEC Sport for its involvement in endurance racing?

Genesis Magma Racing has selected IDEC Sport for its proven endurance expertise, state-of-the-art infrastructure and success&nbsp;at Le Mans. This collaboration guarantees optimal technical and strategic support for entry into competition.

What is IDEC Sport&#39;s track record in endurance racing?

IDEC Sport is an iconic team, renowned for its performances in the European Le Mans Series and&nbsp;eight participations in the 24 Hours. It has built a solid reputation thanks to a rigorous approach and significant results.

What are&nbsp;Genesis Magma Racing&#39;s goals in the endurance discipline?

The team is looking to hold its own against the best in&nbsp;Hypercar&nbsp;by&nbsp;capitalising on IDEC Sport&#39;s expertise and&nbsp;developing quickly to go after&nbsp;podiums and wins in the FIA WEC, and especially at Le&nbsp;Mans.

Which car will Genesis Magma Racing field in Hypercar?

Genesis will field two&nbsp;Hypercars in the&nbsp;FIA WEC starting in&nbsp;2026. The&nbsp;Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar was unveiled on&nbsp;4 December and is compliant with LMDh regulations. ORECA will build the chassis and the car was developed by&nbsp;Genesis Design Europe.

Why Genesis Magma Racing chose IDEC Sport for its future in endurance racing

Le Mans, Ignite your senses | At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, sound isn’t just background noise – it’s a defining feature of the race. The thunderous roar of the engines resonates in spectators’ memories, with some cars earning legendary status for their distinctive acoustics.

More than just raw decibels, an engine&rsquo;s sound embodies the technology, spirit, and philosophy of its time. Some cars have entered the 24 Hours history books as much for their distinctive sonic signature as for their record-breaking performance.

<h2>Engines that have marked history</h2>

In 1991, the&nbsp;Mazda&nbsp;787B&nbsp;became the first Japanese car to win Le Mans and stands as the perfect example. Its rotary engine delivered a sharp, almost metallic sound that lingers in racegoers&rsquo; memories. Each pass along the pit straight or the Mulsanne Straight plunged spectators into an unforgettable auditory experience. The deep, powerful tone of the&nbsp;Ford&nbsp;GT40&rsquo;s V8 engine defined the late 1960s, as the car claimed four consecutive victories from 1966 to 1969. Its rumble became a symbol of American dominance and the soundtrack to the legendary rivalry with Ferrari. The shrill wail of the&nbsp;Porsche&nbsp;917&rsquo;s Flat-12 engine was matched by its glorious aerodynamic silhouette. This car made history not only with its victories in 1970 and 1971 but also with its distinctive&nbsp;piercing sound. Then there&rsquo;s the&nbsp;Peugeot&nbsp;905, whose striking, high-pitched tone came from its naturally aspirated V10 engine. It epitomised an era defined by technical excellence combined with French savoir-faire. Last but certainly not least, the powerful, throaty growl of the Chevrolet Corvette V8 engines is another signature feature of the Le Mans soundscape. From the&nbsp;Corvette&nbsp;C5.R&nbsp;to the C7.R, the thunderous roar has become a hallmark in the GT class at the 24 Hours.

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&nbsp;

<h2>Sounds that endure in the fans&rsquo; hearts and minds</h2>

ACO Club member Pascal, 58, is a devoted 24 Hours of Le Mans fan. For him, the sound of the Porsche&nbsp;911 RSR-19, a staple in the LMGTE class from 2019 to 2023, is unforgettable: &ldquo;The high-pitched tone of that car left a lasting impression on me.&nbsp;Since the switch to the LMGT3 class, it no longer competes but I can still vividly recall its distinctive sound.&rdquo; 
Sammy, 36, who first came to the 24 Hours in 2001, is equally fond of the classic engine sounds: &ldquo;The roar of the V8 engines on the Corvettes, Panoz, and Cadillacs is something I&rsquo;ll never forget.&nbsp;And the striking tone of the Judd&nbsp;V10 from the 2000s is simply unforgettable.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was the 2001 Corvette&nbsp;C5.R that sparked my love for Chevrolet. These engine sounds give me goosebumps and bring back so many memories.&nbsp;&nbsp;I think that&rsquo;s what ignites our passion for racing.&rdquo;

ONBOARD Camera  24 Hours of Le Mans 2018 : Porsche 911 RSR #91 Qualifying lap record

Caméra embarquée à bord de la Porsche 911 RSR #91 - Meilleur tour en qualification

<h2>The power of sound at the 24 Hours</h2>

For many fans, like Pascal and Sammy, the sound of an engine goes beyond mere mechanics. It captures raw emotion, triggering memories and igniting an enduring passion. The symphony of sound instantly immerses fans in the 24 Hours of Le Mans atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As hybrid and hydrogen engines shape the future, the race&rsquo;s iconic acoustics continue to fuel the collective memory. They remind us that, far beyond lap times and victories, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a human experience, engaging all five of our senses.

The roar of legends: how sound echoes our emotions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche Penske Motorsport aims to make 24 Hours of Le Mans history next June with a 20th overall victory in the French endurance classic. The German manufacturer is working on every last detail of its 963 hypercar to meet this monumental challenge.

<h2>A strategy focused on Porsche 963 performance and innovation</h2>

Porsche has learned the lessons of <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/fia-wec-a-positive-2024-season-for-porsche-penske-motorsport-59162" target="_blank">a&nbsp;successful 2024 season</a>&nbsp;(wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Qatar 1812 Km and the 6 Hours of Fuji in the FIA WEC, and pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans), albeit one slightly tarnished by being ultimately pipped at the post in the race for the manufacturers&rsquo; title, losing out by just two points. &ldquo;The competition will be even tougher in the 2025 season,&rdquo;&nbsp;warns&nbsp; Porsche Motorsport Vice President Thomas Laudenbach. &ldquo;Our rivals will progress, and new competition will come onboard too. We feel well prepared. In the past few months, we have carried out intensive analyses. The results have already been incorporated into our preparations for the coming season.&rdquo;

Key to this strategy, therefore, is the work of the engineers in Weissach and at Porsche Penske Motorsport who are introducing significant alterations to the suspension of the Porsche 963. These adjustments are designed to optimise the hypercar&rsquo;s behaviour according to the characteristics of each circuit. An essential asset for a competitive edge in both the FIA WEC and in IMSA.

<h2>The 24 Hours of Le Mans, a core objective</h2>

On top of the technical preparations and organisational adjustments, Porsche hopes to strengthen its hand at Le Mans by potentially entering a third car. The German carmaker has picked up this third golden ticket along with its 2024 IMSA title. A decision will be made in the coming weeks. Lining up a third challenger would naturally improve the odds in the face of some tough competition.

As usual, Porsche Penske Motorsport is leaving no stone unturned in its ultimate quest &ndash; adding a 20th 24 Hours of Le Mans win to the manufacturer&rsquo;s role of honour. With improved suspension, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/porsche-reshuffles-lineups-for-2025-59081">top-notch driver line-ups</a> and a restructured global organisation, all the signs seem to be positive for making 2025 a historic year for the German marque.

<h2>FAQ &ndash;&nbsp;Find out all about Porsche&rsquo;s 2025 Hypercar&nbsp;programme</h2>

What are Porsche Penske Motorsport&rsquo;s objectives for 2025?

The main target is to earn a history-making 20th win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to clinch the FIA World Endurance Championship manufacturers&rsquo; and drivers&rsquo; titles.

What alterations have been made to the Porsche 963?

The engineers have improved the suspension to better adapt the Hypercar to the track characteristics of the various championship venues.

Who are Porsche Penske Motorsport&rsquo;s new drivers for 2025?

Julien Andlauer is joining the factory team and will partner Michael Christensen in the #5 Porsche 963. The #6 car will be driven by K&eacute;vin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. Porsche will add a third driver to these line-ups for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mathieu Jaminet will join Andlauer and Christensen, while Matt Campbell will be in the #6 car.

Will Porsche enter a third car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

The decision has not yet been made, but Porsche won an invitation with its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title this season. This could boost its chances of success in the race. With the Proton Competition customer team also in the mix, there might well be four Porsche 963s on the grid at next year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Who are Porsche&rsquo;s main rivals in the Hypercar class?

In 2025, Porsche will face prestigious manufacturers such as Toyota, Ferrari, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Peugeot and Aston Martin in its quest for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Will Porsche’s new suspension provide springboard for 20th Le Mans win?

Two thrilling races got the Asian Le Mans Series 2024-25 season off to a flying start in Sepang. With closely fought battles, unpredictable weather and awesome feats on the menu, the Malaysian weekend certainly lived up to its promise.

<h2>RD Limited make a stunning impact in Race 1</h2>

Race 1 of the 4 Hours of Sepang offered a breathtaking finale with a historic win for RD Limited, the team set up owned by two-time Le Mans winner Romain Dumas. Fred Poordad, James Allen and Tristan Vautier clinched victory in an epic finish with their Oreca 07-Gibson edging out the AF Corse #83 car driven by Matthieu Vaxiviere by just 55 thousandths of a second after four hours of racing.

Despite four safety car periods, the intensity continued to ramp up as the race progressed. The final lap saw a spectacular tussle between Vautier and Vaxiviere, with the AF Corse driver briefly taking the lead before the RD Limited Oreca regained the advantage on the final turn.

In LMP3, Matteo Quintarelli of French team Ultimate saw off High Class Racing&rsquo;s Anders Fjordbach to win in the #35 Ligier JS P320-Nissan prototype. The #57 Ferrari 296 GT3 fielded by Car Guy took the GT class ahead of the #51 of AF Corse.

&nbsp;

<h2>Algarve Pro Racing storms to victory in Race&nbsp;2</h2>

Race 2 of the 4 Hours of Sepang was shook by a violent storm which forced the race to be red-flagged in the last hour. An audacious tyre change saw reigning LMP2 champions Algarve Pro Racing emerge victorious. Malthe Jakobsen, Michael Jensen and Valerio Rinicella led the #25 Oreca 07-Gibson to the chequered flag after switching to slicks at the right moment.

The temperamental weather tested the teams&rsquo; nerve as it turned the event into a real strategic puzzle.

Ultimate repeated the previous day&rsquo;s feat in LMP3, thanks to St&eacute;phane L&eacute;meret, Bence Valint and Matteo Quintarelli, hereby building a comfortable lead in the championship race. In GT, the #81 Mercedes-AMG of Winward Racing, driven by Rinat Salikhov, Gabriele Piana and Jules Gounon, overcame fierce competition to secure the win.

&nbsp;

4 Hours of Sepang Race 2 Highlights

Asian Le Mans Series 2024-2025 : les meilleurs moments de la course 2 des 4 Heures de Sepang

<h2>Battle has commenced!</h2>

The first two races of the season have begun to reveal which teams will be a force to be reckoned with. Here&#39;s how they stand:

<ul>
	<li>LMP2: RD Limited lead the way with a seven-point lead over AF Corse with Pure Rxcing a further three points behind.</li>
	<li>LMP3: Ultimate hold an eight-point lead over High Class Racing.</li>
	<li>GT: Car Guy have taken control, leading AF Corse by seven points and Kessel Racing by ten.</li>
</ul>

The 4 Hours of Sepang have laid the foundations for an exciting season with intense track battles in store in every class. All eyes now turn to the 4 Hours of Dubai where the competitors will again run two races on 8-9 February 2025.

Asian Le Mans Series – RD Limited and Algarve Pro Racing shine in Sepang

The start at&nbsp;the 4 Hours of Fuji will be given at noon local time in Japan, tomorrow&nbsp;Sunday 9 December...and will definitely be worth getting up early!&nbsp;

24H LE MANS

Asian Le Mans Series - Live stream the 4 Hours of Fuji

Related News

Why Genesis Magma Racing chose IDEC Sport for its future in endurance racing

The roar of legends: how sound echoes our emotions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Will Porsche’s new suspension provide springboard for 20th Le Mans win?

Asian Le Mans Series – RD Limited and Algarve Pro Racing shine in Sepang

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