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Extreme Dakar Weather Leaves Red Bull Drivers Stranded

Storms cause flooding in the third stage of the Dakar Rally.

January 5, 2023

Cristina Gutiérrez and Francisco López’s Can-Am X3s buried in the river.Red Bull

Due to extreme weather conditions, the third stage of the Dakar Rally was interesting, to say the least. Rain, mud, and everything that comes with it plagued the rally drivers since the start of the race. Two Red Bull drivers, Cristina Gutiérrez and Francisco López, ended up trapped in a flooded river crossing and needed a big assist to get unstuck.

López’s co-driver, Juan Pablo Latrach Vinarge, wading through the rushing water to attach a recovery cable.Red Bull

After getting stuck in the river with little hope of getting out, the two drivers had to be pulled out by Red Bull’s recovery trucks. Gutiérrez’s Can-Am Maverick X3 was so buried in mud and water that it almost got the recovery truck stuck as well. The true heroes of the rescue, though, were Gutiérrez’s and López’s co-drivers, Pablo Moreno Huete and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinarge, respectively, who both waded through the rushing water to attach the recovery cables to the X3s. It’s hard to imagine how difficult navigating through the muddy water while being hit with river rapids.

Thankfully, both drivers got out with the help of the recovery trucks and resumed racing the third stage of the Dakar Rally.