The harsh realities of the world's toughest off-road challenge have seen the Inmarsat-sponsored Race2Recovery team reduced to two competing cars in the Dakar Rally.
Vehicles crewed by Major Matt O'Hare and Corporal Phillip Gillespie, and Ben Gott with SSgt Mark Zambon, remain in the race and are tackling Stage 5 from Arequipa in Peru to Arica, just over the Chilean border.
Two of the team's Wildcats have been knocked out of the running, including the vehicle donated to the team by the family of Gordon Chapman, who sadly died before he had chance to race it in the Dakar.
“We're distraught at not being able to continue in the rally and get Gordon's car to the finish line,” said driver Corporal Tom Neathway, who was unable to make it to the end of Stage 4 after the Wildcat suffered mechanical failure.
“However, I hope that we have made the family proud by what we have achieved to date and the fact that the Race2Recovery team is still pushing forward.”
Inmarsat is providing the team of injured soldiers and civilian volunteers with vital satellite communications equipment throughout the 9,000km (5,600 miles) challenge.
They carry with them BGAN terminals and eight IsatPhone Pro satellite phones.
The Race2Recovery team is raising money for a Help for Heroes project, the Tedworth House Personnel Recovery Centre in the UK.
