Cristina Gutiérrez Makes History at 2024 Dakar Rally

Cristina Gutiérrez on Friday became the second woman to win the Dakar Rally, taking the lead on the final stage after Mitch Guthrie suffered a gearbox failure. Gutiérrez sat second to Guthrie from Stage 6 to Stage 11 of the 12-stage race, before Guthrie’s mechanical on the last stage promoted her to the win. Both Gutiérrez and Guthrie this year drove the Taurus T3 Max, after Gutiérrez switched from Can-Am. Guthrie ended up second, just over 36 minutes behind Gutiérrez. Can-Am Factory Racing’s Rokas Baciuška rounded out the podium in third, nearly an hour behind Gutiérrez.

The UTV classes at the 2024 Dakar Rally were hugely successful for women drivers. Gutiérrez became the second woman to ever win the rally overall, 23 years after Jutta Kleinschmidt’s historic 2001 victory. American Sara Price won a stage in the SSV class on her way to finishing fourth in her first attempt at the Dakar. Price joined Gutiérrez and Kleinschmidt as the third woman of any nationality to win a Dakar stage.

Gutiérrez will switch to the top T1+ category next year with Dacia, so her win is a fitting send-off for her career in UTVs at the Dakar. She drove a Taurus Challenger this year for the Red Bull Factory Junior Team.

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