Renault Duster Dakar Team confirmed that the french Christian Lavieille and Jean-Michel Polato will be the couple that will accompany Emiliano Spataro and Benjamin Lozada in the 2016 Dakar edition.

This will be the first time that the official Renault team will have a foreign pilot as a member of its team. The aim will be to position the brand in the top of the Dakar.

Lavieille has a vast experience in this type of competitions. Within his achievements, he formed part of the World Rally Championship T2 in 2006 and during some years he had formed part of several official race teams.

Over the years he has represented various official teams. In the Dakar 2015 he finished in sixth place in the overall clasifications and now he is going for more being part of the official Renault team.

About Christian Lavieille
Born near the town of Lyon in France, he began his career as a motorcycle rider in 1987. Immediately, things started going too fast for him.

The following year he won in Promosport and in 1991 won the "Spa 24 Hours Race". This was just the beginning for several victories in endurance races in Europe (Bol d’Or, Le Mans 24 hours, etc.)

In 1996 he was sub champion "World Endurance" and won the Bol d’Or ; and in 1998 he managed to win first place in the "World Endurance".

For the year 2000-and without leaving his moto- he began his career as a race car driver. In short time he achieved significant accomplishments including the first place in the "Rallye des Pharaons" in 2007 and 2008, the second in Tunisia, the first in Russia 2011, eighth in the editions of the Dakar 2011 and 2014 and the sixth place in the 2015 Dakar.

His vast experience in this type of race have made this man a competitor worthy of the confidence weight of Renault Duster Dakar Team.