In 2023, Sergei Kariakin hoped to compete in the Taklimakan Rally but his application was rejected since the Chinese Automobile and Motorcycle Federation followed the FIA’s policy regarding Russian drivers. Three years later, with the CAMF loosening the rule, he will compete in China for the first time.

“The Chinese have truly been our saviors, and now we’re going to the Taklimakan Rally,” Kariakin quipped.

The 2017 Dakar Rally Quad winner has been keen on trying to race outside of his native Russia since the FIA implemented its post-invasion restrictions in 2022, which stipulate Russian and Belarusian drivers can only race in sanctioned events if they agree to not race under their respective emblems. Kariakin, a staunch supporter of the Russian government, rejected the terms and lobbied to get them lifted, including speaking with FIA officials like President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

In the interim, he focused on the Silk Way Rally and won the T3 class in 2023. Later in the year, he tried to sign up for the Taklimakan to no success for the aforementioned reason.

Kariakin would eventually find refuge in the United Arab Emirates by competing in the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge, which is not overseen by the FIA. He also took part in the Dubai International Baja in the National category, also not an FIA division even though the DIB is part of the federation’s Baja Cups.

Rather than his own team SNAG Racing, he races in the UAE with Big Red Racing; should the FIA relax its policies, he intends to race Dakar under the Big Red banner. Kariakin has also teased the possibility of the Emirates being a viable location for SNAG’s business operations.

Ironically, Kariakin wasn’t allowed to run the ADBC season finale in April due to tighter entry requirements stemming from the ongoing war in the region, thus his remark about his Chinese saviors.

Kariakin won’t be the only Russian at the Taklimakan as truck teams KAMAZ-master and Ural Motorsport are also taking part. It will be their first international rallies since the invasion began in 2022. He also joins Nicolás Cavigliasso and Pau Navarro as Dakar winners in the field.

“We’ve waited a long time for a proper long-distance marathon rally, and finally the wait is over,” his navigator Anton Vlasiuk commented. “Nothing compares to the Silk Way Rally or the Dakar, but China decided to organize a race with a full 19 competitive days.

“We’re eagerly awaiting the start of this event and will do our best to achieve the best possible result.”

Featured image credit: SNAG Racing