Double winner of the Dakar rally marathon in the truck classification, driver of the KAMAZ-master team Dmitry Sotnikov in an interview with , he said that the World Rally Raid Championship could not bear such a name without the participation of Russians.
KAMAZ-master missed the 2023 rally marathon due to the inability to sign the International Automobile Federation (FIA) questionnaire condemning the Russian special operation in Ukraine. The signature of this document is compulsory for the admission of Russian riders to participate in the Dakar.
— The Chinese automobile industry is actively capturing the Russian market. When will we see PRC representatives in the truck rankings on our vehicles?
I’m waiting for these guys! I even saw small trucks at the Chinese championships which had a modern and futuristic design. And I am very surprised that their crews are still not on the Dakar or on the Silk Road. It’s time for them to get their truck out, especially since they probably have all the amenities. I’m sure they will compete.
“And when will master KAMAZ return to Dakar?”
– A difficult question that, as an athlete, I cannot answer. It’s probably not worth counting on 2024, although there is such hope. As long as there is a chance to go there, we will fight. We really want to come back, I think the second half of the year will be favorable to try to enter the number of participants in the race.
No world championship can be called a world championship if all the strongest athletes do not compete in it, which is not allowed for unsportsmanlike reasons. And the victory is all the more precious as the level of the participants is high. This applies to any sport.
– Does skipping the Dakar affect your physical condition in any way? It’s one thing when you’ve had two big races in a year and now you’re sitting at home all winter.
– Of course, everything is known in comparison. It is always useful to see yourself in relation to the best drivers in the world, to understand where you are. This year there is no such possibility, but I hope we will still take a step forward. We have a great point of reference – MAZ-SPORTavto, the guys looked great in the last years Dakar, in the Russian Championship. I think we will not lose speed and we will also maintain our athletic form at a high level,” Sotnikov told .
KAMAZ-master crews have become the winners of the Dakar rally marathon for a record 19 times.
Source : MatchTV
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