The 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour resumes this weekend with the Race of Morocco, taking place at the short, sharp 1.98km Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech. This is the first touring car event held at the circuit since 2019, and the full-time World Tour drivers will be joined by special guests for the first standalone event of the season as the series does not link up with a local championship.
Norbert Michelisz leads the points after a strong start at Vallelunga, where he secured pole position and victory in Race 1 in his BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Elantra. His teammate Mikel Azcona is his closest rival in the standings after finishing fourth in both races. The GOAT Racing Honda pair of Marco Butti and Esteban Guerrieri follow in third and fourth place tied in points after a solid start for the new Honda-equipped team. Lynk & Co Cyan Racing aims to improve after a mixed start to the season, with Yann Ehrlacher and Santiago Urrutia achieving the team’s strongest results so far with a pair of second places.
The Marrakech racetrack is where several drivers will make their debut this weekend, including Dušan Borković driving for GOAT Racing in TCR Europe this year, making a one-off appearance. Moroccan star driver Mehdi Bennani, who won TCR Europe Championship last year will drive a CUPRA Leon VZ for Team Clairet Sport aiming for his first win in front of his home crowd. Also returning to action are two Audi RS 3 LMS cars driven by Sami Taoufik and John Filippi who are looking to overcome challenges faced at Vallelunga.
The field will be completed by four cars: two from Honda run by GOAT racing and one Team Clairet Audi for Endurance racer Julien Piguet. The competition promises to be fierce as drivers strive to gain an edge over their rivals on this challenging track layout that favors quick reflexes and precise handling skills.