The Circuit Moulay el Hassan in Morocco, hosting the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) street race in Marrakech, will be upgraded to a semi-permanent circuit for the 2016 season.
The circuit has hosted the WTCC since the 2009 season, with the exception of the 2011 season, and is currently the only FIA world championship race to be held on the African continent.
The new track will be designed by the renowned circuit designing agency set up by Hermann Tilke, and will be located in the samed location as the current circuit.
“The motivation came first and foremost from wanting to upgrade the track to give the public more show, while at the same time ensuring less risk to the teams and hotels all along the track,” explained event promoter Aly Horma. “The local government supported the initiative from the very beginning.”
The circuit will be radically overhauled and feature an anti-clockwise track and fourteen corners, although the overall length will be shorted from 4.6 km to just over 3 km in length.
The changes will alter the feel of the circuit significantly, with the track no longer a high-speed sprint between frequent chicanes.
The paddock complex will go from being on the outside the circuit to being in the middle of the new track. The semi-permanent and FIA Grade II status will allow the circuit to host events throughout the year to expand the motorsport presence in the region.
