29 Facts About Mehdi Bennani

Mehdi Bennani is a Moroccan racing driver who currently competes in the TCR Europe with Sebastien Loeb Racing.

Mehdi Bennani was TCR Europe Champion in 2020 with the Belgian team Comtoyou Racing.

Mehdi Bennani became the first Moroccan driver to win a world championship race organized by the FIA, after his victory in Shanghai in the WTCC.

Mehdi Bennani finished as runner-up in the European Karting Championship in the 100 ICA class.

Mehdi Bennani won the Moroccan Fiat Palio Trophy in 2001.

Mehdi Bennani moved into single-seaters and was runner-up in Formula BMW Asia in 2004.

Mehdi Bennani moved to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2005 with the Avalon Formula team, racing against the likes of Robert Kubica and Will Power.

Mehdi Bennani competed for EuroInternational in 2006, but failed to score a point in his time in the series.

Mehdi Bennani competed in Euroseries 3000 in 2007, finishing 14th in the final standings and scored a best result of fourth.

In May 2009, Mehdi Bennani competed in his home round of the World Touring Car Championship, the Race of Morocco at the Marrakech Street Circuit in a SEAT Leon 2.0 TFSI prepared by Exagon Engineering.

Mehdi Bennani became the first North African to race in the WTCC, on the series' first visit to the African continent.

Mehdi Bennani finished ninth in the second race, and impressed throughout the weekend with the way he was able to keep up with WTCC regulars.

Mehdi Bennani competed at four further race weekends for Exagon.

In 2010, Mehdi Bennani drove a BMW 320si for the Wiechers-Sport team.

Mehdi Bennani moved to Proteam Racing for 2011 to drive one of their new BMW 320 TCs.

Mehdi Bennani's best result of the season was a 6th place in the final race at Macau.

Mehdi Bennani was joined at the team by Isaac Tutumlu until he left after the Race of Slovakia, reducing the team to one car for Bennani.

Mehdi Bennani took a career best fourth-place finish in race one at the Race of Hungary.

Mehdi Bennani bettered this with his maiden podium finish in race two, finishing in third place.

Mehdi Bennani started second for race two of the Race of the United States and inherited the lead from D'Aste halfway around the first lap when D'Aste spun off.

Mehdi Bennani held the lead until lap four when he spun off and damaged his car, forcing him to retire and passing the lead to Franz Engstler.

Mehdi Bennani was caught up in a first corner crash in race one of the Race of Macau in which a number of cars piled into the Lisboa corner on the first lap and blocked the track.

Mehdi Bennani's car was stuck across the track and was lifted out of the way before the race resumed.

Mehdi Bennani finished the season tenth in the drivers' championship tied on points with Alex MacDowall but ranked ahead due to his podium in Hungary.

Mehdi Bennani stayed with Proteam for the 2013 season, driving their BMW 320 TC for the third consecutive year.

In 2014, Mehdi Bennani scored his first WTCC win at the championship's Shanghai round.

Mehdi Bennani went on to finish the season in 11th place.

For 2015, Mehdi Bennani signed with Sebastien Loeb Racing, switching to a 2014-spec Citroen C-Elysee WTCC for his first season with the team.

For 2016, Mehdi Bennani had two teammates, Tom Chilton and Gregoire Demoustier.