MOSCOW, 15 Jan – Janus van Casteren from the Netherlands, driving an Iveco, became the winner of the Dakar rally-raid in Saudi Arabia in the truck category.

This victory at the Dakar was the first for van Casteren in his career. Prior to that, for six years in a row, Russian crews of KAMAZ-master won in the truck category. In total, KAMAZ-master pilots have 19 victories in the Dakar, which is a record result.

In March, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) banned competitions in Russia and Belarus due to the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine and allowed the athletes of these countries to compete in international competitions only under a neutral flag, while the riders must fulfill a number of requirements and obligations, including sign a declaration of commitment to the principles of peace and political neutrality. Because of this, racing driver Sergey Karyakin and the KAMAZ-master team refused to participate in the rally marathon.