“I still can't believe this is my 10th Dakar in the premier category”
Crew facts
CG
- Cristina Gutiérrez has earned her place among the elite of international rally raids. The Burgos native already knows what it means to make history, after winning the Challenger category in 2024 to become the second female driver to win a category in the Dakar Rally, following Jutta Kleinschmidt's overall victory in 2001.
- Last year, Dacia chose her to join its line-up alongside two of the sport's biggest stars: Sébastien Loeb (nine-time world rally champion) and Nasser Al Attiyah (five-time Dakar Rally winner).
- Since making her debut in the world's most gruelling race in 2017, when she made her mark in the annals of motorsport by becoming the first Spanish female driver to finish, her list of accolades has only grown: 2021 T3 Cross Country World Champion; Extreme E champion alongside Loeb (in seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's team), World Championship and Dakar podium finishes in 2022 and the aforementioned victory in 2024.
- A diehard motor racing enthusiast since she was very young, she is affectionately known as "Tortu" for her love of turtles and, in fact, always has one depicted on her helmet. Between races, she works as an orthodontist in a private clinic.
PMH
- The Spanish co-driver is an experienced mechanic who has worked with Cristina Gutiérrez for years, and together they have gone from lightweight prototypes to the premier category with Dacia.
- He always dreamt of participating in the toughest rally in the world and has competed in six editions, rubbing shoulders with the best and navigating Nasser Al Attiyah to victory in an international event.
- Passionate about his home town of Toledo, climbing and his dog, Moreno continues to work in a garage, where he has begun importing materials from an American manufacturer.
- In 2025, he competed for the Portuguese Off-Road Rally Championship title alongside Gonçalo Ferreira in an SSV. The goal for the second Dakar in the elite category: to finish in the top 10.
Ambition
C.G.: “My first Dakar in the premier category was an incredible experience. It was a huge challenge, but also a dream I had been waiting for a long time. The best thing, without a doubt, was feeling that I was competing head-to-head with the best in the world. The worst thing was dealing with the role we had to play from the beginning because a race move decided it that way. This year, it has been essential to be able to drive a little more. We have learned a lot about managing the pace, responding to different terrain conditions, and, above all, maximising the car's potential. If someone had told me years ago that I would end up racing in 10 Dakars —and, what's more, the 10th in the premier category and with one of the best teams in the world —it would have seemed like an impossible dream. That little girl who started racing out of pure passion would be very proud that reality sometimes exceeds what one can imagine. Now the level is very high, and being part of this generation is a privilege and makes me feel proud of what we have achieved. I enjoy it, knowing that it is an exhilarating and competitive time in the Dakar, with 20 drivers in contention for victory. If, on 17 January, the team and I can look back and feel that we have had a solid rally, I will be pleased. Obviously, I would love a good result, but it doesn't just depend on me.”
P.M.H: “Last year's experience was bittersweet. We made our debut in Ultimate, but right from the start, we had to work as a team to help Loeb and Nasser after they suffered a breakdown. We did a good job; the stages we completed without stopping went well, and the times were good. We showed that we can be in contention. You always want to know how far you can go. This year, the goal is to work as hard as we can in the circumstances we find ourselves in; we know it's a challenging race and that nothing is a given. We may miss the Empty Quarter a little, because we love it, but ASO always surprises with something new. It will be a tough race, as always. I understand that they will push us to the limit with marathons or 48-hour stages, and that will greatly influence the pace and race strategy we adopt to finish as high up as possible. Being optimistic and realistic, we should be in the top 10 at the end. We have to work for it; it's difficult, it's a tall order, but I think there are options and, of course, we're going to give it our all. What's more, we have to make sure a Dacia wins, no matter what.”
