Paul-Loup Chatin | Hyundai Motorsport

Facts about Paul-Loup

Nationality: France
Date of birth: 19. October 1991
FIA granding: Gold
With Genesis Magma Racing since: 2026
Car Number: 19

Paul-Loup Chatin is one of the latest drivers to join the ranks of race winners in the FIA World Endurance Championship when he was part of the victorious team at the 2025 6 Hours of Fuji.

The win was the latest achievement in a long career in sportscar and specifically Prototype racing. The French driver is a two-time European Le Mans Series champion – winning the LMP2 class title in 2014 and 2019 – and won the same class in the IMSA Sportscar Championship in 2023.

He made his Hypercar debut at the start of the 2024 season, beginning to the build his knowledge and experience of the series which will be all-important in the first season of competition for Genesis Magma Racing as the team aims to optimize the efficiency and performance of the GMR-001 Hypercar.

Q&A with Paul-Loup

What is your favourite circuit and why?

My favorite is Le Mans. First of all, it’s my home race—I lived for 30 years only one hour away from Le Mans, so of course it’s something very special for me. The track layout is also quite amazing, especially for prototypes like our hypercar. It’s a unique place, full of history, and as a French driver coming from the countryside near Le Mans, it’s obviously very meaningful to me.

What do you do to focus before a race?

I don’t have a special preparation routine right before the race. For me, the most important part is the day before—to make sure I arrive on race day in the best shape possible. Before the race itself, I try to anticipate as much as I can, to be ready to manage everything that might happen in the best way possible. If I feel confident with the team and the car, then I know I’ll be capable of delivering my best performance.

Which profession would you have chosen if you hadn’t become a racing driver?

I would have loved to be a professional skier—that was my first dream when I was a kid. But in reality, I think I would have ended up as a farmer. Alpine skiing was always something I admired, but farming feels like the more realistic path I might have taken.

Who is your motorsport idol?

I don’t really have a motorsport idol. From my generation, when I was a kid, I admired Michael Schumacher because he was so successful thanks to his hard work and commitment to the sport. On the other side, of course, there’s the legendary Ayrton Senna, who was truly inspirational. But I wouldn’t say I have a single idol in motorsport.

What’s your secret to success?

For me, the secret to success is having only the best of the best—whether it’s mechanical engineers or teammates. If you want to succeed, you need excellence everywhere. I’m not afraid to race with teammates who might be better than me at times, because that’s how you improve yourself. Success comes from the best preparation on my side, and from surrounding myself with the best people I can find. That’s why I joined the team at Genesis Magma Racing.