Smooth circuit and plenty of overtaking await drivers at Marrakesh E-Prix

The Formula E Championship returns on Saturday for the third race of the season and first of 2018 with the only race of its kind on the African continent, the Marrakesh E-Prix.

The Track

As was the case with the inaugural race in Morocco last season, the Marrakesh E-Prix will once again be contested on the International Moulay El Hassan Circuit, a 2.971km counter-clock-wise track which takes the drivers through the sights and sounds of the vibrant city.

The circuit is one of the smoothest on the Formula E calendar, and is somewhat unique in that it has been a regular venue for other racing series, most notably the World Touring Car Championship.

The track starts with a curved section leading up to the medina, before various chicanes and sharp corners lead the drivers back towards the long start-finish straight.

Expect overtaking aplenty here, with two long straights, there will be plenty of opportunities for drivers to dart into the clean air behind a rival leading up to a pass, but that could be a double-edged sword -- use too much of your battery power on forcing overtakes on the straights and you run the risk of not completing the race. Power management is of the utmost importance here.

Circuit specifics

Track name: Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan
Track length: 2.971 kilometers Turns: 12
Top speed: approx. 200 km/h
Fastest/slowest turn: approx. 105/50 km/h
Previous winners: Sebastien Buemi
Lap record, qualifying: Jean-Éric Vergne, 1m 20.993s
Lap record, race: Loïc Duval, 1m 22.600s

What happened last in Marrakesh

Mahindra driver Felix Rosenqvist started from pole and pulled away from the rest of the field over the first couple of laps, and maintained a four-second advantage until his mandatory pit stop, when e.Dams-Renault driver Sébastien Buemi took the lead.

Rosenqvist regained the lead when Buemi stopped on the next lap, but was soon forced to start conserving energy over fears that he won't reach the finish line, having stopped a lap earlier than the rest of the field.

The Mahindra driver hung onto the lead until the 27th lap, before Buemi out-braked him and stuck the pass on the outside of turn 11.

There was no stopping Buemi at that point, and the e.Dams-Renault driver claimed his second successive win and eighth overall at the time. Meanwhile, Rosenqvist continued to race at reduced speed while trying to conserve energy, which allowed Sam Bird to finish second for the Virgin team.

Notable changes

Earlier this week, Formula E confirmed that it had teamed up with ABB, who will serve as title sponsor for the series until 2025, although the partnership can be extended past that date should both parties be satisfied with the advancements in electric mobility.

As such, the series has been officially rebranded as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.