After a decade with MAZ-SPORTauto by which he contested the Dakar Rally 5 occasions, Aliaksei Vishneuski has departed the crew and his rally raid profession as a complete appears to be on the backburner now. On Friday, the crew introduced he has parted methods and teased that he plans to concentrate on drifting as an alternative.
“Aliaksei Vishneuski is leaving the MAZ-SPORTavto crew at present,” begins the crew assertion on Friday.
“Aliaksei has been part of the crew since 2015. In 2016, he made his debut as a pilot of the MAZ sports activities truck on the Zoloto Kagana race. Over 9 years of labor, he has taken half in additional than 30 rally raids as a part of the MAZ-SPORTauto crew.
“Now, Aliaksei is a five-time participant of the worldwide rally raid Dakar Rally, an eight-time participant of the worldwide Silk Approach Rally, a prize winner of the worldwide rally raid Morocco Desert Problem, and a a number of title winner of the Championship of the Republic of Belarus in rally raids.
“Aliaksei’s crew has competed on equal phrases with one of the best crews on the earth within the truck class for a few years, representing the Minsk Car Plant and the Republic of Belarus within the worldwide sports activities enviornment.
“All these years of working collectively have left many vivid feelings and good reminiscences in our hearts.
“We thank Aliaksei for his work and contribution to the event of the MAZ-SPORTauto sports activities crew and need him to attain new targets.
“P.S. NEXT – DRIFT.”
A 3-time Belarusian drift champion with consecutive titles from 2013 to 2015, Vishneuski joined MAZ in 2015. He first appeared on the Silk Approach Rally in 2016 and was a mainstay within the Truck class over the following seven version. His last SWR in July noticed him end sixth in school, primarily specializing in supporting team-mate and defending winner Siarhei Viazovich by providing elements from his truck in occasions of mechanical hassle.
He ran his first Dakar Rally in 2017, the place he completed twenty-first. This was adopted by a fourteenth and eleventh within the 2018 and 2019 editions, respectively, earlier than breaking by in 2020 with an eighth. Vishneuski was MAZ’s greatest finisher in his fifth and newest Dakar in 2021 after Viazovich dropped out midway. MAZ has been barred from coming into the Dakar since 2022 due to sanctions.
His expertise additionally contains racing the Morocco Desert Problem, ending third in 2019 whereas Viazovich gained.
