“There is no father or son in the Dakar!”

Michele Cinotto likes to joke about being the “oldest crew in the Dakar” alongside Maurizio Dominella. Cinotto’s racing experience begins in the 1980s, when he was a professional rallye driver, and goes through decades of innovation, with a victory in the T3 class of the Dakar 2016. As for Dominella, he is a “super-Legend” - 2023 is his 31st participation in the Dakar (out of 45 editions in the history of the event). The passing of the years hasn’t made them any less enthusiastic and the passion is well alive as they embark for another adventure in the desert. And if they ever feel like slowing down, Michele Cinotto’s sons, Pietro and Carlo, will be the first to push them to their limits as the whole family takes on Dakar 2023 for a repeat of their desert adventures from ten years ago.

M.C.: “I was an official pilot for Audi and Lancia in the 1980s and then I returned to racing with the rally-raid and it gave me back the sensations from rally. Obviously, Dakar is the race that has always attracted me the most and having done it gives me a great satisfaction. I’ve done four in South America and this is my fourth in Saudi Arabia. I want to make it to ten and be a Legend! I still have some way to go…
This year, the three of us are here [with his sons Carlo and Pietro]. It’s not the first time we do this. We did the Rallye des Pharaons in 2012, and then Dakar 2013. It’s fantastic for me to be able to share the difficulty and the joy of the race with my sons. We are used to racing, there is no father or son in this situation!
Maurizio is a friend and one of the persons with most experience in the Dakar, in Africa, South America, Saudi Arabia… This is his 31st participation, he’s a super-Legend. We have done many races together and his experience is essential during the race. We may be the oldest crew in the Dakar, with more than 120 years combining the two of us. Let’s see if it’s an advantage or a disadvantage.”