The tenth round of the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season takes the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team to the streets of Marrakesh.
- Stoffel Vandoorne: “Like our last outing in Jakarta, the temperatures will be a challenge for the tyres, the battery and the energy management, so we can expect a tough race.”
- Nyck de Vries: “Personally, I’ve found Marrakesh a fun circuit to drive around previously, so I am looking forward to returning to the circuit and hunt down some good points for the team.”
- Ian James: “Our visit to Marrakesh will be completely different than in our debut season. Not only because the field is more competitive than ever before, not just because we are over the halfway point in the season and the battle for points gets more fierce every race, but mostly because of the extreme conditions we will be facing in Marrakesh.”
- Further information, statistics and facts about the upcoming E-Prix can be found in Race Facts on our media site
Marrakesh is set to host the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the fifth time this coming weekend. The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team has competed in Marrakesh only once before, namely in its debut season of 2019/20. The tenth round of the current campaign will be contested in the city’s Agdal district, just a few minutes away from the medina and the world-famous souks.
The venue for the Marrakesh E-Prix is once again the 2.971 km Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, which was named after the Crown Prince of Morocco. It is a combination of permanent race track and public roads.
The circuit, which has seven left-hand corners and five right-handers, offers several good overtaking opportunities in the course of a lap, the best of which are in Turns 1 and 7. On the straight leading into Turn 7, the cars reach a top speed of 220 km/h. The activation zone for Attack Mode is on the outside of Turn 3.
The Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan is particularly demanding in terms of energy management. In addition, the temperatures this year will be much higher than at the last race in Marrakesh, which was held in February 2020.
Going into the tenth round of the season in Marrakesh, Stoffel leads the Drivers’ World Championship Standings by a five-point margin from Jean-Eric Vergne, with Nyck in sixth place in the standings. The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team leads the Team Standings by 16 points ahead of DS Techeetah.
In a break from the usual Formula E routine, the first free practice session in Marrakesh will take place on Friday afternoon, followed by FP2, qualifying and the race itself on Saturday (start time 17:04 BST).
Comments ahead of the Marrakesh E-Prix 2022
Stoffel Vandoorne:
“We are ready for the second half of the season. There are seven races left, and we have a very intense month and a half ahead of us, with a lot of E-Prix. It’s been a while since we last raced in Marrakesh, and this year it will be quite different because of the weather conditions. It’s going to be much warmer, and I think it’s going to be a much bigger challenge than the last time we were there in 2020, so it’s going to be very interesting. Like our last outing in Jakarta, the temperatures will be a challenge for the tyres, the battery and the energy management, so we can expect a tough race. But I also have the feeling that this could create opportunities, and I think we have prepared well for this event. So, I’m looking forward to being back on track and hopefully continuing our good form into the second half of the season.”
Nyck de Vries:
“I think the whole team is looking forward to another race. We’ve had a small gap but can now gear up for an intense time with plenty of racing. Marrakesh will be very warm, which will mean we will be facing new challenges compared to other races this season. Obviously, Jakarta was hot as well, but I expect this will be taken to a different level in the coming weekend. Personally, I’ve found Marrakesh a fun circuit to drive around previously, so I am looking forward to returning to the circuit and hunt down some good points for the team.”
Ian James, Team Principal:
“After a few weeks without racing, but plenty going on in and around the factory, we are setting off for our next race destination: Marrakesh. We have been here before in the team’s debut season and proved to be quite competitive around the circuit. That being said, this season will be a completely different challenge. Not only because the field is more competitive than ever before, not just because we are over the halfway point in the season and the battle for points gets more fierce every race, but mostly because of the extreme conditions we will be facing in Marrakesh. It’s set to be extremely hot while we are out there and although we have the experience of our last outing in Jakarta, this weekend will turn things up a notch.
It will be interesting to return to Marrakesh and see how we will perform this time around. Knowing the team, they will be adapting to the challenges and circumstances, setting us up for a competitive weekend.”
Where to watch
Don’t miss any of the action this weekend, and follow the team on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Or, head here to find out how to watch all sessions live in your region.
| Round 10 | ||
| Session | Date | Time (BST) |
| Practice 1 | 1 July 2022 | 17:00 – 17:30 |
| Practice 2 | 2 July 2022 | 07:30 – 08:00 |
| Qualifying | 2 July 2022 | 09:40 – 10:55 |
| E-Prix | 2 July 2022 | 17:04 – 18:00 |
