The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads back for a fifth trip to Marrakesh - and a first since Season 6. On past form, Mahindra Racing are the team that have best nailed the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan.
Swede Felix Rosenqvist won here back in 2017/18 in his debut Formula E campaign, securing the Anglo-Indian outfit's second win in the series - and the Drivers' standings lead at the time.
A year later, Jerome D'Ambrosio followed up a win in Hong Kong with a trip to the top step in the next round in Marrakesh.
That was the Belgian's first win in a then-five-year stint in Formula E. The BMWs of Alexander Sims and Antonio Felix da Costa out front came to blows, opening the door for the Mahindra driver and leaving a devastated da Costa in the wall, while Sims dropped to fourth.
This time around...
Mahindra sits in ninth spot in the standings with the team's best showing coming in Berlin with a double points-score. It's been a tough Season 8, but Marrakesh is proven solid ground for the team and if they're to put things right, it could well be in Morocco.
"Marrakesh is a place with many special memories – from pole position in the inaugural Marrakesh E-Prix in 2016, to consecutive race wins in 2018 and 2019 and the fastest lap in 2020, you could argue it’s Mahindra Racing’s track," says Team Principal Dilbagh Gill. "However, we all know that a change in temperature can affect the car and the track conditions hugely so, in some ways, we are all visiting for the first time. That said, we know the circuit well, we’re feeling prepared and are ready to score points with both cars."
Formula E's visited the African nation earlier in the year in the past, so the spanner in the works is temperatures - with the race now sitting at the end of July and air temperatures heading into the mid-30s degrees celsius.
“We’re looking forward to Marrakesh," said Oliver Rowland. "After the disappointment of Jakarta, it’s important that we get out there and do a good job. We’ve got some pretty good momentum, we had a good race in Berlin, and we showed good pace in Jakarta, so it’s time to put it all together.
"The battery thermal side will be interesting, as its going to be very hot, and we need to keep the tyres under control but it’s something we’ve been working very hard towards so let’s see how it goes!”
"We haven’t been to Marrakesh for a couple of years so it’s exciting to be going back to what is a fun and exciting track with lots of overtaking opportunities," says Alexander Sims. This year the biggest challenge we’ll have that we’ve not had in the past – because we’ve normally gone there in winter not summer – is that the temperature will be high, and we’ll have to manage battery heat.
"That seems to be adding an interesting factor into the mix that we haven’t had before. Mahindra Racing has had success here historically so we’re looking to repeat this and I’m feeling good about what’s to come."