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Thread: Dakar 2022

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    Dakar 2022

    What happened to the official MAZ team, registered with three Trucks in the Dakar 2022, was sensational. The team was transporting the three 6440 RR models ready to be boarded on the ferry that was to take them to Saudi Arabia. But the sudden stop came from the organizer A.S.O! The vehicles of the Belarusian team had not received authorization to load the trucks, so after having crossed the EU borders on 26 November, the vehicles turned back and returned to Minsk. The team obviously lobbied for official explanations.
    EU SANCTIONS IN BELARUS ... BUT THIS IS POLITICAL!

    It seems somewhat absurd to have to talk about political issues to explain the exclusion of the Maz team, a sports team, to the Dakar 2022. Going to touch the political context of Belarus, the criticisms raised against the Lukashenko government are well known, which is considered in Europe as a dictator and protagonist of the 2020 electoral frauds denounced by the political opposition. Yes, it would in fact be the resulting EU sanctions against Belarus that began in 2020 that blocked A.S.O from the participation of Belarusians. Residents in the EU are obliged to terminate all economic-financial relations with entities in Belarus (of which MAZ is also part as it is partly controlled by the state). This would therefore be the official explanation, but it is hard to understand how a sports team can fit into this whole scenario of political war. The MAZ team was very disappointed. Among other things, it had already paid the registration fee for the Trucks (about 100,000 euros) and spent its budget to develop and test to participate in this Dakar. The decision of A.S.O, although officially supported, is incomprehensibly late, moreover after having already accepted the official registrations!

    For the team at the moment there is no other solution than to abandon the race. The only way out would be to legally detach the team from the MAZ parent company, but this would be quite difficult given the financial support that the parent company makes for the sports team. A total chaos that for now remains unsolved and sees the Belarusian trucks relegated to gathering dust in their warehouses. We recall that MAZ won 2 podiums in the Dakar with the driver Siarhei Viazovich, of which a 2nd place in 2018 behind the winner Nikolaev.

    https://www.rally.it/2021/12/dakar-2...otivi-politici

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    Well, the F1 calendar goes to where there's money. No matter if they don't care about human rights or if you are "allegedly" in a murder of a journalist. I condemn what is happening in Belarus, but kicking a sports team out? Well, they'll have to kick the KAMAZ as well no?

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    Senior Member Mirek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheFlyingTuga View Post
    Well, the F1 calendar goes to where there's money. No matter if they don't care about human rights or if you are "allegedly" in a murder of a journalist. I condemn what is happening in Belarus, but kicking a sports team out? Well, they'll have to kick the KAMAZ as well no?
    You're looking at the situation from a wrong point of view and your comparisson is also wrong.

    Dakar is a commercial event organized by ASO and not by the FIA. Therefore it is not kicking of a Belarussian team out of an international sporting event. It's preventing the Belarussian entity from doing business with the EU entity.

    If there was an EU sanction applicable on KAMAZ, ASO would be obliged not to make business with them either. There is no such sanction in place therefore the comparisson is irrelevant.

    It's sad for MAZ but in my point of view the entire responsibility for this mess goes to the aggressive actions of the Belarussian state and Lukashenko against EU (Poland) and it's absolutely right when the EU answers the harsh actions with a harsh reaction.

    EDIT: Few years back EU sanction stroke Kamaz team too. They had to abandon the already developed "long nose" trucks using Mercedes cabins. Kamaz was forced to use the "old" trucks in the race instead.
    Last edited by Mirek; 7th December 2021 at 18:30.
    Stupid is as stupid does. Forrest Gump

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    Oh, okay.

    I didn't understand the situation correctly and I thought that it was just the ASO taking a stand just because.

    Thank you for your explanation Mirek

  5. Likes: Mirek (7th December 2021)
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    Dakar 2022 – Kris Meeke remplace Giniel de Villiers

    Giniel de Villiers will not be at the start of the next Dakar. Diagnosed positive for the coronavirus, the winner of the 2009 edition is asked to stay at home. Too bad: the South African will not be able to improve on this impressive statistic: in 18 consecutive participations in the famous rally-raid, he had not recorded the slightest retirement.

    This package, on the other hand, is a godsend for Kris Meeke who had discovered the event last January at the wheel of a Zypher T3 Buggy prepared by PH Sport. The Northern Irishman had shone several times before experiencing a lot of mechanical problems.

    Conquered by the Dakar, Meeke could not find a steering wheel for this edition. And here he is going to drive an official Toyota Hilux, the car which is one of the favorite vehicles of the Dakar 2022. It is up to him to demonstrate that soon to be 42 years old, after having won 5 rounds in the WRC, he can begin a successful conversion to rallying. -raid.

    https://www.autohebdo.fr/actualites/...-villiers.html

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    Should de Villiers return another positive test result, it is believed that former Toyota World Rally Championship driver Kris Meeke could be in the frame to take his place in the team.

    “Kris is a friend of the team, and should there be any unexpected results with Giniel, he may be able to step up at short notice. As of now, the plan is for Giniel to drive.”
    https://dirtfish.com/off-road/dakar/...d-19-positive/

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    New livery on Jakub Przygonski's Mini Buggy:

    http://www.rallymadness.prv.pl - rally photos and movies!

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    Senior Member Mirek's Avatar
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    I fail to understand why to make your desert race car black. Of couse it looks badass but in reasonable terms it's bad for basically everything.
    Stupid is as stupid does. Forrest Gump

  11. Likes: dimviii (29th December 2021),pantealex (29th December 2021),timlord22 (29th December 2021)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mirek View Post
    I fail to understand why to make your desert race car black. Of couse it looks badass but in reasonable terms it's bad for basically everything.
    when i saw the photos i thought the same.

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