The next exciting leg of the 2022 ABB FIA Formula E Championship takes us back to the enchanting ancient walled city of Marrakesh. On 2 July, the scene is set for high drama at the fifth Moroccan E-Prix. For the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team – and all our fans - anticipation is mounting. We’re eager for points, and the 10th race of Season 8 offers a tantalising bite at victory.
The iconic Circuit Moulay El Hassan is a racetrack like no other. Visually, it’s inspiring, skirting the weathered walls of the Agdal district, with the ice-capped Atlas mountains towering in the background. But its history, although far more recent, is interesting too. The course was originally laid out in 2016 for the Afriquia Race of Morocco, a WTCC round. With a major COP22 climate change meeting scheduled for July that year, Marrakesh proposed hosting the E-Prix event as the perfect way to raise awareness around renewable energy alternatives. The track’s moderate length – 2.97km – made it perfectly adaptable for Formula E. And so, on 2 July 2016, the day before the international summit, it became the setting for the first E-Prix held on African soil. It has subsequently been every season except for 2020/21.
The track layout is also remarkable. Unlike most other Formula E circuits, this one is characterised by multiple straights – three long, three short – and long, sweeping curves. The 12 turns vary in difficulty. None are easy. In 2018, the mandatory attack-mode activation zone was added, on the outside of turn three, and the timing loops to activate the system were made visible to drivers. Otherwise, the original track remains unaltered. Deceptively straightforward on paper, in real life this course demands extraordinary speed, stamina and agility from both man and machine: alternating bursts of top speed with highly technical manoeuvres.
For our drivers André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein, Marrakesh represents another first: this will be their debut as teammates on this circuit, proudly racing under the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team colours. No doubt, André will be recalling his first Moroccan outing with the team in 2020. After an impressive qualifying earned him 3rd place, he finished 8th in the main race, earning 4 points. The question on everyone’s mind is, how will that muscle memory translate into performance and points?
In Formula E anything can happen, but one thing is certain – the Marrakesh meeting promises racing magic for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and fans alike. Catch all the action on Saturday 2 July.
The track layout is also remarkable. Unlike most other Formula E circuits, this one is characterised by multiple straights – three long, three short – and long, sweeping curves. The 12 turns vary in difficulty. None are easy. In 2018, the mandatory attack-mode activation zone was added, on the outside of turn three, and the timing loops to activate the system were made visible to drivers. Otherwise, the original track remains unaltered. Deceptively straightforward on paper, in real life this course demands extraordinary speed, stamina and agility from both man and machine: alternating bursts of top speed with highly technical manoeuvres.
For our drivers André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein, Marrakesh represents another first: this will be their debut as teammates on this circuit, proudly racing under the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team colours. No doubt, André will be recalling his first Moroccan outing with the team in 2020. After an impressive qualifying earned him 3rd place, he finished 8th in the main race, earning 4 points. The question on everyone’s mind is, how will that muscle memory translate into performance and points?
In Formula E anything can happen, but one thing is certain – the Marrakesh meeting promises racing magic for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and fans alike. Catch all the action on Saturday 2 July.