Cristina
Gutiérrez
Spain
·
Rally Raid
Date of birth | July 24, 1991 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Burgos |
Age | 35 |
Nationality | Spain |
Career start | 2011 |
Discipline | Rally Raid Car |
Passionate about motorsport from a young age, Cristina Gutiérrez has carved out a hugely successful career in the world of off-road racing. Regularly excelling in the Dakar Rally, her first taste of competition came in 2011 when she took part in the All-Terrain Spanish Rally Championships. Despite it being her first high-profile race, the Spaniard would finish top of the female category.
Cristina continued to dominate the Championships for the next five years, finishing top of her category on each occasion, while in 2015 she secured second-place overall in the mixed-gender category.
After six consecutive wins on home soil, Cristina decided to explore the world of Rally Raid, competing in the 2016 edition of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally in Qatar. Showcasing her natural talent, she would claim victory in the women’s category, a result that convinced the Spanish driver she was ready to test her skills in the famed Dakar Rally.
Dakar Rally success
In 2017, Cristina made her Dakar debut and became the first woman from Spain to ever finish the off-road classic in a car. She would replicate this feat the following year before securing 26th place overall.
2020 would see Cristina yet again finish the Dakar, while one year later she would carve her name into the record books when she became just the second woman ever to achieve a stage victory in the legendary rally.
Impressing in Extreme E
Following this impressive performance, Cristina chose to embark on a new adventure, joining the first edition of Extreme E – an FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses spec electric SUVs. Racing for Lewis Hamilton's Team X44, alongside the legendary Sébastien Loeb, the duo finished third in the first race of the series, the 2021 Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia.
Cristina followed this up with another hugely impressive display, claiming the overall victory in the T3 class at Rally Andalucia to hand the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team their first-ever rally win.
Later in 2021, Cristina made yet more history as she became the first-ever female driver to win the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies before finishing in second place overall in the inaugural Extreme E championship alongside team-mate Sébastien Loeb.
There was further success for the Spanish driver in 2022 as she excelled throughout the second series of the Extreme E Championship, winning once and securing three podium finishes as she won the title for the first time
Dakar glory
In 2022, Cristina headed back to the Dakar Rally and produced another excellent performance as she finished in third place overall in the T3 category – giving the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team their first-ever top-three result at the Dakar.
In January 2023, Cristina and co-driver Pablo Moreno represented the Red Bull Can-Am Factory Team in Saudi Arabia, scoring two stage victories and fourth place overall along the way. The duo returned in 2024 for another shot at the Dakar Rally, and this time they won, making history in the process as Cristina became just the second woman ever to win the Dakar Rally.
Chasing glory in the car class
With a move to the premier car class for the 2025 event alongside Dakar legends Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah in the newly formed Dacia Sandriders, Gutiérrez gained valuable experience of what it takes to compete for a podium in the Ultimate class as she finished in 40th position.
She returned for the 2026 edition with the powerhouse Sandriders and vastly improved on her previous year's performance, finishing in 11th place overall.