Zengő Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz admits that the Marrakech Street Circuit is “not a favourite” ahead of this weekend’s World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) races in Morocco.
Hungarian Michelisz heads to Morocco this weekend off the back of recent testing with the Castrol Honda WTCC team in Portimão and a brace of points finishes in Argentina in the season opener.
During the Portugal test Michelisz joined works’ drivers Tiago Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini, speeding up development of the Honda Civic WTCC and spending one day evaluating set-up options for Marrakech. The marque also focussed on a development package which is due to appear at Michelisz’s home race in Hungary at the beginning of May.
Before the start of the European leg, however, teams and drivers must face the ‘anomaly’ circuit which is Marrakech. With its mixture of four high-speed straights, tight corners and imposing concrete barriers, the Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech is not for the faint-hearted. For Michelisz, the circuit is not a favourite due to these very characteristics.
“Generally, I like street circuits,” said Michelisz. “But Marrakech is not one of my favourites. Hard braking zones, high curbs, combined with the heat make driving a real challenge for a driver and his machine. Because overtaking is very difficult qualifying will be the key to success in Morocco.”
Michelisz’s reasons for not liking the circuit are backed up facts: since 2010 he has scored a best result of just seventh at the tight track, with four points’ finishes from eight attempts.
“My target is to finish among the top ten in Saturday’s qualifying and to score important points in both races on Sunday.”