Mehdi Bennani made history when he became the first Arabic driver to win an FIA world championship motor race in 2014. Three seasons on and the Moroccan is still claiming success and plaudits in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).
Bennani and his Sebastien Loeb Racing teammate Tom Chilton will head to the season finale in Qatar next weekend half a point apart in the WTCC Trophy standings. Chilton holds the advantage in the battle to be the best privateer over Bennani, last year’s WTCC Trophy winner, following an action-packed Race of Macau weekend. After winning Saturday’s Opening Race outright, Bennani moved ahead of Chilton by 2.5 points only for Chilton to finish ahead of his Moroccan teammate in Sunday’s Main Race to snatch the impetus back, albeit by a slender margin of half a point.
Ahead of the last round of WTCC to be held at the Losail International Circuit from November30 to December 1, Bennani was excited to race in Qatar, what he calls his ‘second home.’ Excerpts from an interview.

There’s a strong link between Qatar and Morocco. Can you explain how close the two countries are?
We are both Arabic, the people are close and with Marrakech also on the calendar, it’s like a second home race. But there is some stress and pressure because I want to do my best for the Arabic supporters and bring a trophy back to Morocco. We will push at the maximum and I hope to leave the people with the best message, a podium finish.

Last year you had a great result in Qatar, claiming your first pole position and winning the Main Race. What are your best memories from that weekend?
It was a very strong qualifying and a very strong race. Everything was going in a good way because we were quicker than the factory Citroën drivers and this was very good. It was my first pole position and to have pole position in my second home race was very nice. The lap was magic and my engineer helped me a lot, telling me I had nothing to lose. People said I got pole position because some people did a mistake but I deserved it because I didn’t do a mistake. The Main Race was very tough with all the very quick drivers behind me. I tried to do 12 or 13 laps like qualifying and the only thing in my mind was I would win or I would put my car in the wall. I absolutely wanted to win this race.

What do you think of the night race format?
I like racing at night and you can see the result from last year that I like much to race at night. You don’t feel much difference but I hope we are strong like last year and fighting for the top positions.
Finally, a word on your team boss Sebastien Loeb. What advice does he give you?
It’s very strong to have the power of Sebastien Loeb with us. He’s the reference, he coaches people so it’s nice to have him on our side.


WTCC season gets set for thrilling finale in Qatar
The 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship season heads to Qatar next for a thrilling showdown with three prestigious titles still up for grabs. WTCC Race of Qatar, the final event of the 2017 season, will take place at the Losail International Circuit on November 30th and December 1st when the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers and Manufacturers, plus the WTCC Trophy will be decided.
With 60 points up for grabs, seven drivers are still in mathematical contention for the coveted world title. Thed Bjork heads Norbert Michelisz by 6.5 points in the battle to win the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Drivers, while Volvo Polestar heads Honda by 12.5 points in the race for the FIA World Touring Car Championship for Manufacturers.
It’s also tightly poised in the WTCC Trophy with Tom Chilton just half a point ahead of his Sebastien Loeb Racing teammate, the Moroccan driver Mehdi Bennani, while Rob Huff is also firmly in contention, seven points behind Chilton. The entrance at the grandstand and paddock is free for the two-day event and there is also free parking available. The VIP ticket for Thursday and Friday cost QR1,200, while for Friday only its priced at QR 700.