FIA WTCC Moroccan Race Excites Crowds
08 Apr 2013

The past weekend saw rounds 3 & 4 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the street circuit in Marrakech, Morocco.

The weekend proved once again the excitement in the “Real Cars, Real Racing” championship which has YOKOHAMA, the Japanese Tyre manufacturer as its exclusive Tyre Partner.

Following the wet and windy conditions in Monza earlier last month, the weather was once again a protagonist during the weekend and the results provided a breath of fresh air to the initial stages of the season with a hotly contested Championship and resounding victories for young talents who managed to make it to the top of the podium.  A historical win for Pepe Oriola in race 2, the youngest ever winner at only 18 years of age and the first win for Michel Nykjaer on race 1 after his comeback to WTCC.

Nerves and excitement were in abundance in Marrakech – both in the boxes, cockpits and the fans who attended “en-masse”.  However the more experienced drivers were not able to get the better out of the young talents who managed to keep ahead of the pack against the odds.

The veteran Italian dynamo Tarquini with another credible effort, following a pole position, managed a second place in race 1, with Nash closely following.  In race 2 Oriola’s victory was followed by Muller and Chilton respectively.

Muller once again ensured a solid performance and earned valuable points which he hopes will enable him to win the Championship this season, following his spectacular racing last year, by winning more races than anybody else, yet still coming up in an overall third place.  At the moment Muller has established a useful 37 point lead at the top.

Meanwhile the YOKOHAMA trophy for “independents’” is also shaping up with James Nash as the current leader followed by Michel Nykjaer and Alex MacDowall.

The Moroccan race was also a good opportunity for a number of celebrities who visited to watch the spectacular racing and which included Miss World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino from Gibraltar and the veteran French cyclist Richard Virenque, well known for his successes at the Tour de France and other international cycling competitions in the 90s.

The next race of the WTCC will take place at the Slovakia ring on the 28^th April with rounds 5 & 6.