Press releases

MINSK, 2 January (BelTA) - Belarus’ MAZ-SPORTavto racers have entered the final stage of preparations for the Dakar Rally due from 6 to 20 January. The upcoming installment will become the seventh for them, BelTA learned from MAZ-SPORTavto.

The whole MAZ-SPORavto team (some 30 MAZ employees) has arrived at the starting point of the 2018 Dakar Rally event after a long flight to South America. The racers will now have a couple of days to adjust to the local climate, prepare for the rally, and check the vehicles. The race starts in Lima, Peru on 6 January.

The MAZ-SPORavto lineup has not changed since 2017. The team leader Sergei Vyazovich will be joined by navigator Pavel Garanin and mechanic Andrei Zhigulin. The second crew led by pilot Alexander Vasilevsky will comprise navigator Dmitry Vikhrenko and mechanic Anton Zaporoshchenko. Aleksei Vishnevsky will drive the third truck accompanied by navigator Maksim Novikov and mechanic Andrei Neverovich.

The Belarusian trucks are able to fight for the medals, Sergei Vyazovich said. “Each of the three crews can make it to the top 10. If everything goes well, we will try to win the medals. The pilots and the vehicles are ready for the challenge,” Sergey Vyazovich added.

Since some part of the route is located more than 5,000 meters above sea level, the Belarusians prepared for the highland climate in diving chambers back in Minsk, MAZ-SPORTavto pointed out.

According to the organizers, with a record-breaking 4,000 kilometers of high-speed sections to be covered, the 2018 event will become one of the toughest editions in the recent years. The 2018 Dakar Rally will run through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina to wrap up in Cordoba, Argentina on 20 January.

The Belarusian crews will be provided with free mobile roaming by the mobile carrier velcom. The specialists have already tested the quality of mobile network offered by South American partners along the route.

The Belarusians will compete against all the big-name teams. In particular, KamAZ will send four trucks for the rally. Petronas Iveco is also expected to take part in the 2018 edition, although its leader Gerard de Rooy opted for the Africa Eco Race which is also due in January. Other strong rivals are the experienced MAN, Tatra, and Renault.

The owner of the MAZ-SPORTavto team is Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ trademark), the technical partner is velcom. The 2018 edition will become the seventh for the Belarusian team which produced the best results at the latest race of 2017. The crew led by Alexander Vasilevsky came in sixth in January 2017. Each of the three crews made it to the finish.