The Russian team was kicked out of the Dakar rally. The pilots refused to betray the country

Since the deterioration of the political situation, the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions has been reduced to a minimum. However, against the backdrop of unjustified prohibitions by foreign officials, there are also attempts to find an ambiguous compromise: Russian athletes are often required to sign a document condemning the course of their own country.

This practice is widely used by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which oversees, among other things, the famous Dakar rally marathon, where Russian racers regularly took high places.

However, our athletes decided not to be led by officials and refused to participate in competitions under special conditions!

“We are always with our Motherland”

In March, the FIA ​​banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions under the flags of their countries, and also excluded the holding of any international events on the territory of Russia and Belarus. Thus, Russia lost Formula 1 and several stages of the World Cup in other classes of auto racing. At the same time, the FIA ​​required athletes from Russia to sign a statement of solidarity with Ukraine and condemnation of Russian foreign policy to participate in international competitions.

Most Russian racing drivers, including former F-1 drivers Daniil Kvyat and Sergey Sirotkin, as well as representatives of teams such as SMP Racing and G-Drive, have refused such conditions. The case of Konstantin Zhiltsov was also noteworthy: the Russian athlete did not sign the ill-fated document, but changed his citizenship to Israeli in order to participate in the Dakar.

Konstantin Zhiltsov / Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV

Until the last moment, the KAMAZ-master team, which has been dominating in the truck classification for many years, did not express its position, but on September 28 it announced its choice:

— The participation of Russian athletes in the Dakar rally is due to the need to sign the questionnaire of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), condemning the Russian special operation in Ukraine. In our opinion, the content of this document is political in nature, and also violates the principles of a level playing field for athletes.

We consider it impossible for us to sign such documents and participate in competitions under such conditions. Our choice is obvious – we are always with our Motherland, especially when it is in a difficult situation, the team said in a statement.

“It’s an unsportsmanlike spirit”

The requirements of the International Automobile Federation were predictable, but this does not negate their illegality. Previously, the FIA ​​has repeatedly made statements about the unacceptability of the impact of politics on sports, but in reality double standards prevail. The famous Russian auto and motorcycle racer Anastasia Nifontova recently called the demand of foreign officials humiliating:

– The IOC and FIA are actually blackmailing athletes, forcing them to take one of the sides. There is a point in this paper where we must support the Ukrainian federation, which wants to deprive us of racing. This is a humiliation. This is not a sporting spirit. It shouldn’t be like that. You can’t force people to sign it. This paper was read by foreigners, and many approached us and said that in our place they would not sign such a thing either, ”the athlete said in an interview with the First Place Telegram channel.

As a result, the legendary Dakar rally lost its main favorite due to the political agenda, depriving the fans of the spectacle and the athletes of their jobs. Let’s hope that soon Russian racing drivers will still get the opportunity to compete in the international arena without signing documents in which they are, in fact, forced to betray their homeland and their beliefs.