AvtoVAZ has introduced an improved Vesta for the Race of Champions

The pilots of the 28th Race of Champions competed in new Lada Vesta racing cars powered by Iskra in the Samara region. The competition was held in conditions of 30 degrees below zero, the Izvestia correspondent reports from the scene.

The Sosnovka competition celebrates its 30th anniversary. This year, they brought together 16 of the strongest representatives of various motorsport disciplines, including the first Russian Formula 1 pilot Vitaly Petrov and the vice-world drift champion Arkady Tsaregradtsev. The racers used new Lada Vesta specially prepared for ice racing in the yellow and black Lada Sport Rosneft or black Rostec livery.

They are equipped with a powertrain that debuted last year on Lada Iskra racing cars. Its volume has been increased from 1.6 liters to 1.8 liters, and a sequential five-speed transmission has been used instead of a cam transmission.

On the main day of the competition on January 24, two-time winner of the Race of Champions Vladimir Sheshenin finished in the quarterfinals ahead of Yaroslav Shevyrtalov, the champion of Russia in karting and circuit racing in the Formula 4 standings. Three-time winner of the "Race" Dmitry Bragin defeated his student from Syzran, two-time champion of Russian Touring Mikhail Simonov. Egor Sanin, an athlete from Ulyanovsk, turned out to be faster than Leonid Panfilov, the winner of the Russian Cup in ring racing in the Super-Production class. Kirill Ladygin, the record holder for the number of wins in the Champions Race, beat Mikhail Mityaev, another winner of the previous Champions Race, by only 0.13 seconds. Two semi—final races determined the names of the finalists - Bragina and Sanina. While Ladygin was more successful than his colleague Vladimir Sheshenin in the fight for the third place of the competition.

The final races were held on Lada Iskra, which Sanin and Bragin got behind the wheel for the first time. Both trips along the track were scored by Dmitry Bragin, who officially became the second most successful driver at the Race of Champions.

Waiting for the "window": AvtoVAZ shares plans for 2026

Lada to launch crossover, van and sports car on the market

Sergey Kornienko, AvtoVAZ's head of product marketing, told Izvestia on January 14 that the start of production of the Lada Vesta Sport is scheduled for spring 2026, with sales starting closer to summer. The car will be equipped with a 1,8-liter engine with a capacity of 146 hp in combination with a six-speed manual transmission. The Sport modification will receive both a sedan and a station wagon.

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