Russian navigator Alexei Kuzmich told there was no clarity on whether to participate in the 2023 Dakar rally marathon and said he had already tried to get an EU passport but was happy that this did not happen.
On Wednesday, Dakar-2017 winner Sergey Karyakin told that to be admitted to the rally marathon, riders must sign a statement condemning the Russian special operation in Ukraine. The Dakar Rally is a round of the World Championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The FIA has previously required riders to sign a similar declaration.
– While everything is under a very big question, there is no clarity. Yasir (Seidan is a Saudi driver. Alexei has been competing with him since 2016 – editor’s note) because I can’t start international races, he also took a break for the season. He raced in Qatar with a French co-driver and said he didn’t want to race with anyone other than me. We don’t know if we will go to the Dakar. Including because of the dots in the FIA documents, Kuzmich told .
– Change nationality and license?
– Yes, and there is nothing to change. I won’t get an Israeli passport because the road to the Middle East will be closed forever. Take European? It’s unrealistic now. Until spring, there were still a few attempts on my part, but, thank God, this did not happen. There can therefore be no question of replacing a passport.
How to access the Dakar, if Yasser will go there, is still unknown. He studies his options, communicates with the prince, who is also the president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF). Maybe he can find something. But it is unrealistic to get a Saudi passport or citizenship of the United Arab Emirates – they do not issue such a document to anyone.
– And if the country is from the former USSR?
– My roots go to Turkey on one side, Moldova, Serbia and Romania – on the other. I attracted distant relatives who had never seen me in my life. They collected all the documents, found archives before 1850 – it’s no use. There is a Russian passport – live and work for yourself. Or do it for a lot of money, and even then it’s not a fact that they won’t throw it away. These are the realities of today.
I wouldn’t want to miss the Dakar, but so far everything has been difficult. I can’t imagine what would have to happen to be allowed in.
You don’t have many races this year. Is this a serious pass for a browser?
– It’s disgusting, because the roll is lost. It is clear that the race is quickly drawn into the process. You will not drink the experience, but all the same, the speed of reading the road book and the concentration are gradually lost. It’s very good when one race per month, two races is absolutely ideal. It doesn’t matter if it’s an amateur race or going to the World Cup. The season is ending and I only have four races, not including Kagan’s Silk Road gold. It’s completely pointless! This has never happened to me in my 22-year career!
Now I’m a bit more focused on organizing and running my MOTO RALLY CUP, the ninth season of which is already coming to an end. I’m on my biker club business, which is slowly growing.
I hope that the situation in the world will change for the better and that Yasser and I will find the opportunity to continue playing together in competitions.
Earlier, on September 14, World Rally Raid Cup winner Konstantin Zhiltsov of Russia told that he had changed his sporting citizenship in order to participate in the Dakar rally. According to , the 57-year-old sailor will compete under the flag of Israel.
The Dakar Rally Marathon 2023 will take place in Saudi Arabia from December 31 to January 15.
Source : MatchTV
