Ain-Diab was a track laid out on public roads in the area of the same name, southwest of Casablanca. The track was used twice for Formula One, but after a fatal accident to Stuart Lewis-Evans in 1958, racing has never been held there again.
Circuit History[]
In the 1930s, a Moroccan Grand Prix was held on the Anfa circuit, which shared a road with Ain-Diab. After the war, Casablanca had spread to encroach upon Anfa, so racing was held near the city of Agadir. But the king preferred to have the racing nearer to Casablanca, so the Ain-Diab circuit was ordered built. A non-championship race was held in 1957, and won by Jean Behra, in a Maserati.
Circuit Layouts[]
Previous Layouts[]
Anfa Circuit[]
Ain-Diab Circuit[]
The rectangle-shaped track ran in a clockwise direction, starting on the old Coast Road (now Boulevard de l'Ocean d'Atlantique). After a short run, the course made an almost 90° right onto Boulevard Panoramique (now Boulevard de la Grande Ceinture). Much of this straight was what the newer course shared with the old Anfa circuit. The course went through a couple of gentle kinks before a sweeping right onto Azenmour-Casablanca Road (now National Highway R320). After about two km on this road, with several gentle bends to navigate, the track kinked right, then made another sharp right onto Azenmour Road (now Route Sidi Abderrahmane). This stretch was an almost constant shallow left bend, until another sharp right, back on the Coast Road. The course passes three tricky high speed bends before straightening out for a 1km final straight. The Coast road in particular was known for having wind-blown sand and dirt on the road surface and in the air, and it is believed that some of this dirt caused Stuart Lewis-Evans' engine to seize, catapulting his car off of the track and into a sand dune, where it took several minutes to extricate him. he died of burns in a London hospital, six days later.
Current[]
The roads comprising the circuit still exist, but they are public roads in an affluent suburb of Casablanca, popular with foreign retirees.
Event history[]
The following is a list of Formula One World Championship events held at the Ain-Diab circuit:
| Year | Event | Winning Driver | Winning Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Moroccan Grand Prix | Jean Behra | Maserati |
| 1958 | Moroccan Grand Prix | Stirling Moss | Vanwall |
Notes[]
| V T E |  Moroccan Grand Prix
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Circuits | Ain-Diab Circuit (1957–1958) |  |
| Races | 1958 | |
| Non-Championship Races | 1957 |
| v·d·e | Nominate this page for Featured Article |