“There is a competition in the family”

Last year’s return to the Dakar was a successful one for Pietro Cinotto: he managed to finish the race in front of his father Michele and step onto the final podium, eight years after his last participation. Following his first two experiences in a car, he took on the Saudi desert with an SSV from XtremePlus Polaris Factory Team. In 2023, he will face an increased competition within the Cinotto family with the participation of his brother Carlo, who also returns to the Dakar, ten years after his last participation. Following the path of their iconic father, the two siblings are ready for action and determined to be the number 1 Cinotto by the end of the race. In order to do so, Pietro partners up with Alberto Bertoldi, just like he did last year.

P.C.: “It was amazing to return to the Dakar last year. It was my first time with a SSV, after driving a T2. So it was a totally different experience. I made a mistake on the second day so the whole race was about catching up and it was a great adventure. Now I have one more year of experience and it’s fresh while my brother [Carlo] hasn’t done the Dakar for 10 years.
I’m excited because, finally, the three of us are doing it together again. There is one race, the Dakar, but there is also a competition in the family. That’s the challenge within the challenge, and it’s nice. For sure, if one of us has a problem, we’ll try to help him as much as we can. But we’re here to race, not to enjoy the view and the time together although the desert is amazing. Last year, I discovered a new country. I remember being on top of sand dunes and wherever you looked, 360 degrees, it was sand everywhere.”