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On the #WTCR2019SUPERGRID with Mehdi Bennani

Mehdi Bennani, Morocco’s top driver, is starting his fifth season with Sébastien Loeb Racing and will once again have a Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR at his disposal as he bids for glory in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO, starting with next week’s WTCR AFRIQUIA Race of Morocco.

Have you got what it takes to win the world title?
“Sure, I hope. When something is in your mind, even when it is not possible, you tell your mind to imagine things can be possible even when it’s 99 per cent impossible. In Morocco our culture is to open all the doors for things to be possible. I never close the door that I will not be the winner. I try to do my best because, in our life, if we don’t imagine some things, then it’s over.”

How excited are you to be on the #WTCR2019SUPERGRID filled with so many great drivers?
“It’s big motivation. With seven world champions it’s one of the best world championships in motorsport. Everybody is waiting for this. As drivers we are lucky to be on the inside waiting. But we know a lot of people on the outside are waiting and thinking about the first qualifying, which car will be the fastest, what will happen at the start of the first race. It will be very exciting.”

Just how close do you expect the competition to be?
“Even last year we have seen 20 drivers in one second of each other. To be more close than that will be very tough but maybe we are going to see the same lap times for some positions. Again, it’s more and more motivation because every driver wants to prove themselves and be the best.”

In addition to Rob Huff, you will have two new team-mates this season. What do you think of them and their potential?
“Johan Kristoffersson is the world champion in rallycross but he is also two times Scandinavian Touring Car Champion, so maybe he knows the car better than me! Then you have Benjamin Leuchter, who developed the Golf and won a lot of championships with the car. This is good because although there is competition and fighting to make life harder, the result is bigger when it happens. At the end, the goal is to get the maximum points for the team and be clever, not like when [Rob and me] touched each other [in Vila Real and crashed], that was not nice at all. I cannot say how we will all manage because every driver inside the team wants to be the quickest.”

The Marrakech Grand Prix is celebrating 10 years in 2019. Some achievement, right?
“When we see an event with history behind it then it means it’s successful and I am happy the Marrakech Grand Prix has this history. I am also happy to be a part of it and happy that the event is part of the world championship because, for the people of Morocco, it is our event. And big thanks to the fans for their support, even when you are in the car flat out racing you can hear the noise of the people. This really does mean a lot to me.”

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com