Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2016 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) saw teams and drivers return to North Africa and Circuit Moulay El Hassan in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh (6-8 May).
However, a dramatically different track layout posed a new challenge, as the characteristic long straights and hairpin configuration has been replaced by a nw permanent street-style circuit with tight twists and turns between concrete barriers.
The high speeds of previous years are no longer a factor, therefore engine power is no longer an advantage and balance and traction are equally important for achieving quick lap times.
Qualifying
LADA SPORT ROSNEFT breaking into the exclusive third part of qualifying for the five quickest drivers was once an exceptional event, but Nicky Catsburg extended his exceptional run of form by taking his LADA Vesta TC1 right through to the end.
A time of 1m22.1s was good enough for fifth on the grid with only a four-tenths deficit to the eventual polesitter, and the result contributed to Catsburg’s points tally, but another increasingly regular sight is Hugo Valente lining up on the front row of the reversed grid for the Opening Race.
The third LADA SPORT driver, Gabriele Tarquini, made it through to Q2 and qualified 11th for both races in what was another incredibly tight session, where the top 11 cars were covered by just one second.
MAC3
The WTCC’s innovative ‘Manufacturers Against the Clock’ (MAC3) event, where the works teams – LADA, Honda and Citroen – compete in a time trial format for extra points to put towards the Manufacturers’ Championship, continued in Marrakesh.
Starting first, LADA SPORT ROSNEFT avoided the dramas of the previous MAC3 events and successfully lapped Circuit Moulay El Hassan to put down a good benchmark for Citroen and Honda to chase and, after Honda failed, it was Citroen who demoted the Russian team to second.
LADA SPORT ROSNEFT Team Principal, Victor Shapovalov, said: “It is like a visit to a casino. Anything can happen when you roll the dice, as the track will not allow for much overtaking but will deliver many mistakes. I think the races will have a lot of incidents.
Catsburg, LADA SPORT’s top qualifier, also recognised the difficulties of the new track, saying: “Honestly, it is going to be a lottery and I haven’t enjoyed the track very much, although I am happy to have made it through to Q3 again. There is no real opportunity for drivers to make a difference on this circuit, as all the corners are slow, with no fast stuff anywhere to test our skills. We have worked on getting as good a balance for the race, but the track will punish the cars, especially their brakes.”