N° 506 - TEAM KAMAZ-MASTER
- KABIROV
- Firdaus
- RUS
- 19/05/1961
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- BELYAEV
- Aydar
- RUS
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 - MOKEEV
- Andrey
- RUS
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« We have never split our crews»
When everything goes well, the Kamaz team is nearly unstoppable. Dominators when it comes to all things technical, the blue trucks also benefit from being in the hands of the fastest drivers. Vladimir Chagin is team leader and Firdaus Kabirov has been, for quite a long time, considered as the number two in the squad. But on the Dakar, things often don’t go according to plan and mistakes are often quickly sanctioned. The team’s loyal second driver was rewarded for his services with victory in 2005, when he won the truck division that seemed to be going the way of the Tsar. Thanks to consistency he was able to compete with and defeat Chagin in 2009. At Buenos Aires Firdaus finished barely four minutes to the good from Vladimir. And on the first ever Silk Way Rally, the final tune-up race prior to the 2010 Dakar, he once again got the better of Chagin.
Thus, the 2009 winner could legitimately claim the leader’s role on the Dakar. Yet, he defends the Russian concept of team spirit that has largely proved its merit. Kamaz has won six of the last seven Dakars. “In reality, we have never split our crews. Our two trucks have the same goals and the same rights. What is important is not to get caught up in a confrontation and to achieve the common goal, knowing that one of us wins the rally”, explains Kabirov. At the starting line, the two-time winner will not have the intention of assuming the role of team leader. The position of a team mate in the battle is often a more comfortable position to be in.
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com