MINSK, 23 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian MAZ-SPORTavto team have become part of world's motorsport elite, the team leader and pilot Sergei Vyazovich said at a press conference on the results of the 2017 Dakar Rally hosted by BelTA's press center on 23 January.
Enormous work had been done, and the results confirmed that. “MAZ trucks have never performed better in this prestigious rally raid. Both the pilots and the trucks showed their worth. MAZ trucks successfully compete with products of the world's leading manufacturers: KamAZ, MAN and Iveco. We can say that the MAZ-SPORTavto team have become part of world's motorsport elite,” Sergei Vyazovich noted.
The racer said the 2017 Dakar Rally was one of the most difficult editions of the race over the past years. It featured sharp altitude changes, vast dunes, scorching heat, and heavy downpours that turned some parts of the route into muddy swamps.
Pilot Alexander Vasilevsky finished in 6th overall, Sergei Vyazovich took 13th place, and Alexei Vishnevsky placed 21st in the overall standings.
The MAZ-SPORTavto team took part in the Dakar Rally for the sixth time. The 2017 Dakar Rally ran through Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. The racers covered a distance of some 9,000km. As many as 50 trucks took part in the race, with 42 of them making it to the finish line.
