Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan

The Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan (also known as Marrakech Street Circuit and Marrakech Racetrack) is a 3 kilometres (1.86 mi) temporary street circuit in Agdal district, Marrakech, Morocco.[1] The circuit is operated by MGP.[2] It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators.

Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan
LocationMarrakech, Morocco
Major eventsWTCC, Auto GP,
Formula E
2016 – present
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3 km (1.83 mi)
Turns14
Race lap record1:20.296 (Lucas di Grassi, Audi, 2019, FIA Formula E)
2009 – 2015
SurfaceAsphalt
Length4.624 km (2.87 mi)
Turns15
Race lap record1:28.45 (Narain Karthikeyan, Zele Racing, 2013, Auto GP)
Websitewww.marrakechgrandprix.com

History

MGP’s partner in Morocco, D3 Motorsport Development, was given the responsibility of the design of the street circuit. It is the same architect company that designed the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in Australia.[3] Groupe Menara oversaw the construction on the Route de l'Ourika/Boulevard Mohammed based track.[2] The paddock had been paved alongside the walls of the Royal Garden and more than 2500 concrete impact blocks and many debris fence panels had been put in place to bound the track.[1]

The third round of the 2009 World Touring Car Championship season was held there on 3 May 2009, becoming the first international car race in Morocco since the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix at the Ain-Diab Circuit in Casablanca and the first event for the WTCC in Africa.[4]

In December 2015 it was announced the circuit would undergo a major overhaul to make it more challenging. Only half of the original circuit will be utilised when the new layout comes into effect from the 2016 FIA WTCC Race of Morocco.[5]

The circuit
The original circuit

The original circuit had a very simple layout. It was a 4.6km flat oval circuit with a hairpin at one end and chicanes punctuating the straights, running in an anticlockwise direction.[6]

Major events

WTCR
Year Race Driver Manufacturer Report
2018 Race 1 Gabriele Tarquini Hyundai Report
Race 2 Jean Karl Vernay Audi
Race 3 Gabriele Tarquini Hyundai

Formula E
Year Race Driver Team Report
2016-17 Marrakesh ePrix Sébastien Buemi Renault e.dams Report
2017-18 Marrakesh ePrix Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra Racing Report
2018-19 Marrakesh ePrix Jerome D'Ambrosio Mahindra Racing Report
2019-20 Marrakesh ePrix António Félix da Costa Techeetah Report

WTCC
Year Race Driver Manufacturer Report
2017 Race 1 Esteban Guerrieri Chevrolet Report
Race 2 Tiago Monteiro Honda
2016 Race 1 Tom Coronel Chevrolet Report
Race 2 José María López Citroën
2015 Race 1 José María López Citroën Report
Race 2 Yvan Muller Citroën
2014 Race 1 José María López Citroën Report
Race 2 Sébastien Loeb Citroën
2013 Race 1 Michel Nykjær Chevrolet Report
Race 2 Pepe Oriola SEAT
2012 Race 1 Alain Menu Chevrolet Report
Race 2 Yvan Muller Chevrolet
2010 Race 1 Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Report
Race 2 Andy Priaulx BMW
2009 Race 1 Robert Huff Chevrolet Report
Race 2 Nicola Larini Chevrolet

AutoGP
Year Race Driver Team
2014 Race 1 Kimiya Sato Euronova Racing
Race 2 Markus Pommer Super Nova International
2013 Race 1 Sergio Campana Ibiza Racing Team
Race 2 Luciano Bacheta Zele Racing
2012 Race 1 Sergio Campana Team MLR71
Race 2 Chris van der Drift Manor MP Motorsport

References
  1. "NEXT STOP: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO". fiawtcc.com. 2009-04-25. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  2. "Marrackech Racetack Unveiled". fiawtcc.com. n.d. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  3. "Marrackech Morocco". formulatwo.com. n.d. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  4. "Marrackech GP Joins 2009 WTCC Calendar". fiawtcc.com. n.d. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  5. "Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Morocco to undergo major facelift". TouringCarTimes. 7 December 2015.
  6. "Marrackech Morocco". formulatwo.com. n.d. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-05-10.

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