Dakar Rally team attacked by pirates in bizarre incident

Rodrigo Varela, a renowned off-road driver in South America, istaking part in this year's Dakar Rally and is doing so togetherwith friend and navigator Enio Bozzano. However, the circumstancessurrounding their entry could not be any stranger as during theChristmas period, the Can-Am UTV - the vehicle with which Varelaand Bozzano will participate in the rally - was transported by shipto Saudi Arabia. As Varela and his family sat down to Christmasdinner, they received a phone call and were informed that the shipon which the car was being transported had been attacked by Houthipirates. The crew managed to shake off the pirates, but analternate route to the starting point had to be taken, increasingthe arrival time by 20 days. The event hit the debut Dakar duo hardas it seemed that their dream of entering the event had gone up insmoke. However, they went in search of a replacement car and foundthe same Can-Am machine in Portugal from a driver not participatingin the 2024 Dakar Rally. “We had to make modifications andadaptations in a hurry. Fortunately, it worked and we passed theDakar inspection,” said Varela, as quoted by Autosport . Thechallenges for the Brazilian friends are not over yet, however. Thecar is there, but spare parts are missing as these are also aboardthe attacked ship. Varela therefore hopes fellow rally participantswill be willing to lend a helping hand here and there. “We stilldon’t have all the parts we will need during the Dakar, whichrequires a lot of maintenance. To do this, we are counting on thehelp of other teams. “The Dakar is a mix of racing and adventure.And this makes solidarity one of its most notable brands. Peoplehelp each other when they can.” Despite all the setbacks, Varelaand Bozzano successfully started the prologue and the first stageon Friday.