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Michaël Benyahia

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Michael Benyahia
Venturi Monaco 2017
NationalityMorocco Moroccan
United States American
due to double nationality
Born (2000-07-21) July 21, 2000 (age 24)
Miami, United States
FIA Motorsport Games career
Debut season2022
Current teamOptimum Motorsport
Racing licence FIA Silver
Car number10
Previous series
2017
2016–15		Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
French F4 Championship
Championship titles
2017Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
Awards
2017
2017		SISL Trophée Espoir
Mars d'Or 2M Challenge

Michaël Benyahia (born July 21, 2000, in Miami) is a Moroccan racing driver.

Career

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Benyahia testing a GEN2 car, March 2018.
Benyahia representing Morocco at the FIA Motorsport Games, October 2022.


Early career

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Benyahia was born in Miami of a Moroccan father and a Belgian mother.[1] His father, Karim Benyahia is a businessman in hands-free technologies.[2][3] His mother, Pascale Van Cleemput was Honorary consul of Belgium in Miami between 2002[4] and 2005.[5]

Benyahia began karting in 2007 at the age of seven, claiming numerous titles in his career.[6][7]

In November 2013, he took part in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals held in New Orleans where he finished sixth of the Mini Max category.[8]

Lower formulae

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In 2015, Benyahia graduated to single-seaters in the French F4 Championship, where he earned nine points and finished 17th. The following year he repeated this series, finishing 3rd and claiming a victory and six podiums.

Formula Renault

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Michael signed with the R-ace GP Team and became 2017 Formula Renault FR 2.0 NEC Champion.[9] As part of his prize for becoming the 2017 champion at Hockenheim, Michael Benyahia paid a visit to Renault Sport's F1 facility at Enstone.

Formula 3

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Between June and October 2019, he joined the development program of the British team Carlin Motorsport to prepare for a serie in F3.[10]

Formula E

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In September 2017, Benyahia joined Venturi Formula E Team as Development Driver,[11] one month later he took part in the pre-season test session in Valencia,[12] then in January 2018 at the Rookie Test of the Marrakesh ePrix where he was the youngest among the twenty participants,[13] in which he finished 19th in the first session and 18th in the second.[14][15]

British GT

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Benyahia is one of four confirmed McLaren DDP drivers that will drive two McLaren 570S GT4s for Tolman Motorsport for the 2020 season, after he, Katie Milner, Harry Hayek and Alain Valente were the top 4 drivers in an 18-driver selection at Snetterton.[16]

FIA Motorsport Games

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Michael Benyahia will represent Morocco in the FIA Motorsport Games that will be hosted from October 26 to 30 in Marseille. Benyahia will take part in the “GT Sprint” event on the Paul-Ricard Circuit, securing Morocco’s first participation. The FIA Motorsport Games is a multidisciplinary event that includes GT, karting, and rally sometimes. The event is often referred to as the Olympic Games of motorsports.

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F. Laps Podiums Points Position
2015 French F4 Championship Auto Sport Academy 18 0 0 0 0 12 17th
2016 French F4 Championship FFSA Academy 23 1 0 0 6 218 3rd
2017 V de V Challenge Monoplace R-ace GP 6 2 3 3 3 257 12th
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC 11 0 0 1 1 163 1st
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 3 0 0 1 0 0 NC†
2017-18 Formula E Venturi Formula E Team Test driver
2018 Euroformula Open Championship RP Motorsport 6 0 0 0 0 9 19th
Spanish Formula 3 Championship 2 0 0 0 0 4 16th
2019 GT4 European Series Team GT 4 0 0 0 1 20 16th
ADAC GT4 Germany 12 1 0 0 2 105 6th
2021 British GT Championship - GT4 Jenson Team Rocket RJN 9 0 1 0 2 67 8th
2022 International GT Open Optimum Motorsport
FIA Motorsport Games GT Sprint Team Morocco 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 13th

† As Benyahia was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

Complete British GT Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class)

Year Entrant Chassis Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2021 Jenson Team Rocket RJN McLaren 570S GT4 GT4 BRH
1
Ret 		SIL
1
21 		DON
1
Ret 		SPA
1
Ret 		SNE
1
19 		SNE
2
12 		OUL
1
16 		OUL
2
13 		DON
1
14 		8th 67

References

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  1. ^ "Michael Benyahia, un jeune champion marocain prodige de la formule 1". maglor.fr (in French). May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Barret, Philippe (April 2017). "Michael Benyahia, le champion qui trace sa route" (PDF). Le Courrier de l'Atlas (in French) (113): 64–65.
  3. ^ Slatalla, Michelle (February 13, 2003). "ONLINE SHOPPER; Treats to Mollify a Crabby Cellphone". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  4. ^ "Consuls honoraires Créations – Nominations Par arrêté royal du 3 juin 2002". Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (in French). Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  5. ^ "Consuls honoraires Créations. – Nominations Par arrêté royal du 30 septembre 2005". Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (in French). Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Michael Benyahia | Northern European Cup". Northern European Cup. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  7. ^ "Double podium at Le Castellet for Michael Benyahia". Kartcom. April 7, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  8. ^ "Rotax Challenge Grand Finals Mini Max finale results". Kartcom. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  9. ^ Soulsby, Chris. "Formula E: 17 year-old Michael Benyahia to test for Venturi in Marrakesh". Motorsport Week. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  10. ^ "Michael Benyahia joins Carlin for development programme". Carlin. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  11. ^ "Le marocain Michaël Benyahia nommé pilote de développement Venturi". Maghreb Arabe Presse (in French). September 29, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  12. ^ "New faces to make Formula E debut in Valencia". fiaformulae.com. September 1, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  13. ^ "Formula E: Venturi and Andretti confirms their drivers to the rookie test". Electric Motor News. December 17, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "ABB FIA Formula E Championship – Marrakesh Rookie Test – Test session 1" (PDF). fiaformulae.alkamelsystems.com. January 14, 2018.
  15. ^ "ABB FIA Formula E Championship – Marrakesh Rookie Test – Test session 2" (PDF). fiaformulae.alkamelsystems.com. January 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "McLaren DDP members join Tolman for 2020 GT4 programme". britishgt.com. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
Champion
2017 		Succeeded by
Doureid Ghattas
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