The Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan (also known as Marrakech Street Circuit and Marrakech Racetrack) is a semi-permanent

street circuit A street circuit is a motorsport race track, racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor racing, motor races. Airport Runway, runways and Taxiway, taxiways are also sometimes part of ...

in Agdal district,

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. The circuit is operated by MGP. It has a capacity of 10,000 spectators.

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 The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Surfers Paradise, in Queensland, Australia. The beach-side track has several fast sections and two chicanes, having been shortened from an origi ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Groupe Menara oversaw the construction on the Route de l'Ourika/Boulevard Mohammed based track. The paddock had been paved alongside the walls of the Royal Garden and more than 2,500 concrete impact blocks and many debris fence panels had been put in place to bound the track. The third round of the 2009 WTCC season was held there on 3 May 2009, becoming the first international car race in Morocco since the

1958 Moroccan Grand Prix The 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix, formally the VII Grand Prix International Automobile du Maroc, was a one-off Formula One motor race held at Ain-Diab Circuit, Casablanca on 19 October 1958, after a six-week break following the Italian Grand Prix. It ...

at the

Ain-Diab Circuit The Ain-Diab Circuit () was a Formula One road circuit built in 1957, southwest of Ain-Diab in Morocco, using the existing coast road and the main road from Casablanca to Azemmour that ran through the Sidi Abderrahman forest. Prior to 1957, the ...

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

and the first event for the WTCC in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The original circuit had a very simple layout. It was a flat oval circuit with a hairpin at one end and chicanes punctuating the straights, running in an anticlockwise direction. In December 2015, it was announced the circuit would undergo a major overhaul to make it more challenging. Only half of the original circuit was utilized when the new layout came into effect for the 2016 FIA WTCC Race of Morocco.

Events

; Former *

Auto GP Auto GP, sometimes referred to as the Auto GP World Series and formerly known as both Euro Formula 3000 and the Euroseries 3000, was a European formula racing series. The series' roots can be traced back to 1999 and the Italian Formula 3000 serie ...

(2012–2014) * FIA Formula Two (2010) *

Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars ...

** ''

Marrakesh ePrix The Marrakesh ePrix was an annual race of the single-seater, electrically powered Formula E championship, held in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was first raced in the 2016–17 season. Circuit The Marrakesh ePrix was held on the temporary Circuit In ...

'' (2016, 2018–2020, 2022) *

TCR World Tour The FIA TCR World Tour is an international touring car racing series for TCR cars. It was formed for 2023 to effectively replace the WTCR series, and received FIA status for its second season in 2024. A season consists of several rounds select ...

(2024) *

World Touring Car Championship The FIA World Touring Car Championship was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It has had several different incarnations, including a sing ...

** '' FIA WTCC Race of Morocco'' (2009–2010, 2012–2017) *

World Touring Car Cup The FIA World Touring Car Cup (abbreviated to WTCR, referring to the use of TCR regulations) was an international touring car championship promoted by Eurosport Events and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It ...

** '' FIA WTCR Race of Morocco'' (2018–2019)

Lap records

As of May 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan are listed as:

Results

Formula E

WTCR

WTCC

AutoGP

Future developments

Formula 1, recognized globally as the pinnacle of automotive racing sports, is exploring new horizons, potentially including Morocco in its high-speed saga. Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula 1 Group, has revealed ongoing discussions to host a Grand Prix event in Africa, pinpointing North Africa and South Africa, alongside considerations for two countries in the Far East. Morocco emerges as a frontrunner in this expansion strategy, given its historical ties to Formula 1 and its fusion of rich cultural heritage with captivating urban landscapes. This move marks a significant step in Formula 1's global outreach, promising to blend the thrill of racing with Morocco's scenic beauty and cultural depth.

Notes

References

External links

WTCC Official website

Circuit's Official website

Moroccan Grand Prix
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