It wasn’t quite a “rabbit out of a hat” win for Sotnikov. He delivered a near-faultless performance at the world’s toughest race, leading the event from start to finish and also finishing in the top three on every single stage barring one (he finished fourth on day 11). The 34-year-old – who was born and raised in Naberezhnye Chelny (the home of Kamaz) – marked the seventh different Kamaz-Master driver to win the Dakar.
Sotnikov was joined on the overall podium by team-mates Anton Shibalov and Ayrat Mardeev, who finished second and third respectively.
Delight at the debut win
Needless to say, Sotnikov’s debut Dakar win delighted him. “It was the best race in my career. It was my dream and a lot of work, many years of work since my first Dakar in 2014 and finally we have won it. Last year we had a failure due to a big stone, but this year everything was good. The first half was really fast for us and we got a good gap with our time. On the second part, it was just a case of reaching the finish every day. I think this tactic was the best for us. I’m full of emotions,” he said at the end of the race.
The talented Russian driver believes that much of the credit is due to the team. “All the crew, all the team, all the guys did a perfect job. I think it was a team job, not just me, I was just the driver. I'm happy to drive this truck because it is the best truck in the world. We’re glad to continue our tradition of victory. Thank you to all the guys who support us all the time. A lot of people were waiting for our win and now I can tell them we've done it,” said Sotnikov.
He also remains somewhat humble when it comes to the competition (yes he did actually have some, even though the results tell a different picture). “There are a lot of other trucks that are close to us in terms of speed, but I don't know what happened to them, because on some stages they won, like Martin Macík, but they didn’t have enough luck maybe, I don’t know. It wasn’t an easy race and I think this Dakar was harder than the previous ones. The last stages were really hard,” he noted.
Meet the team
When Sotnikov gives credit to the team, he’s not kidding. The Kamaz-Master team is a big bucks affair that exists for two reasons only: to win races and make Russia proud. “This team spirit roots back to love for Russia. And Kamaz-Master members don't express their patriotism just for show. You can realize it having talked to any member of the team, from the mechanic to the pilot, and he will say that, in a desert far, far away, he tries his best in order to see his country’s flag at the finish of the rally,” an official statement by Kamaz confirms.
The team is owned by Kamaz, a state-owned company which is the largest automobile corporation in the Russian Federation. Even Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has nailed his colours to the team’s mast. “In a greater part due to your efforts and your bright victories the Kamaz brand becomes more and more famous in the world, becomes increasingly important, and confirms the high level, high grade of the company and its products,” he is quoted as saying in the team’s official brochure.
Meet the truck
Sotnikov competed in Class T5.2. The most common truck class, these are prototype vehicles that have to adhere to regulations written by ASO, the organiser of the Dakar. The cabin and certain components, for instance, must be production-based. Contrary to the T1 vehicles, it is therefore possible to recognise the brand of the truck at first glance. Lightweight, powerful and imposing, their "cargo hold" is in fact almost completely empty. For safety reasons, their top speed is capped at 140 km/h.
The actual truck driven by Sotnikov – a Kamaz 43509 – is powered by a 13-litre six-cylinder turbocharged Dongfeng Cummins engine that delivers a stonking 1150 hp of power. Weighing in at 9.5 tons, it boasts wheels that weigh a whopping 150kg each (which can be changed by the team in an impressive six and a half minutes). It also has 50:50 weight distribution, which is absolutely ideal for handling. It can glug 200 litres of diesel per 100km when pushed hard, meaning that it really does need its 1 000-litre fuel tank, which is situated over the rear wheels. As a general rule, participating trucks need to drive on standard tyres that are available to any consumer and fleet. The Kamaz trucks run on Goodyear ORD off-road tyres.
Roll on, 2022
Now that the 2021 Dakar is done and dusted (no pun intended), teams around the world will no doubt begin preparations for the 2022 event. Sotnikov is certainly ready and waiting. “We're looking forward to the next race here, it is a good place for the Dakar, I think,” he says.
And will Kamaz take top honours once again? That’s certainly what the smart money is betting on …
Photographs by ASO, Kamaz, A.Vincent, F.Le Floc'h, F.Gooden, C.Lopez, G.Epifanio and J.Delfosse.
