Cristina Gutiérrez has concluded her participation in the Rally of Morocco, finishing within the top 10. In the fifth and final stage of this fourth round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), the talented driver from Burgos, alongside her co-driver Marc Solà, crossed the finish line in 13th place, trailing the day's winner, Eryk Goczal, by 7 minutes and 56 seconds. This performance allowed them to gain an additional position in the overall standings, ultimately securing 9th place, finishing 38 minutes and 14 seconds behind the overall champion, Seth Quintero.
A Final Stage to Secure a Top 10 Spot
The fifth stage, which started and ended in Zagora, marked the conclusion of an exceptionally challenging week during which many official teams experienced mechanical failures, accidents, or navigation issues. With a top 10 finish at stake, Gutiérrez and Solà executed a strong performance, increasing their lead over Martin Prokop to six minutes, thereby solidifying their position among the elite contenders. The week’s performance illustrates a remarkable upward trajectory for the pair: starting from 20th overall after day one, they improved to 15th after day two, climbed to 11th on day three, reached 10th on day four, and finally finished 9th in the overall classification, matching the same position Gutiérrez achieved in this event last year.
Reflecting on her experience, Gutiérrez expressed, “It is difficult to put into words how much this rally has meant to me. Beyond the result itself, I am incredibly happy to have returned to doing what I love, to be competing again, and to feel like a race driver once more. These past months have not always been easy. As an athlete, watching everyone else compete while you have to stay at home is incredibly frustrating. Therefore, on a personal level, I really needed this rally.”
A Testing Ground with an Eye on Dakar
The Rally of Morocco served as a crucial milestone within Santana's project with Cristina Gutiérrez, whose ultimate goal is to compete in the Dakar 2027. Throughout the week, the team utilized the competition as a testing ground, fine-tuning settings, parts, and configurations of the Santana 400 T1+, all while managing to secure a top 10 finish overall. This result holds added significance for Gutiérrez, as it marks her debut in the World Championship alongside Marc Solà and the Santana Racing Team, following a period of challenges that kept her away from racing.
“I am very happy with the car's performance, with how Marc and I have worked together, and especially with finishing ninth overall. It makes me even happier to know that it’s the same result I achieved here last year with Dacia. Returning after so many months and seeing that the pace is still there means a lot to me. It gives me confidence and makes me even more excited for what lies ahead,” she added.
As the rally concluded, Seth Quintero (Toyota) emerged victorious without winning any stage, showcasing remarkable consistency: finishing sixth on the final day, he concluded the event with a 4:23 advantage over João Ferreira (Toyota) and 4:42 over Henk Lategan (Toyota), achieving a Japanese brand trifecta. This victory positions Quintero as the leader in the championship standings. Among the Spanish competitors, Nani Roma (Ford) narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, 7:01 behind the leader, while Carlos Sainz (Ford), who led after the third stage, ended up in sixth place, 9:25 adrift.
The final special stage was won by Eryk Goczal (Ford), who benefited from another stroke of bad luck for Sébastien Loeb; the Frenchman’s Dacia, vying for stage victory, stalled just meters from the finish. Isidre Esteve (Toyota) completed the rally in 22nd place overall.
Looking ahead, the Santana project with Cristina Gutiérrez continues its roadmap towards Dakar 2027, with the Santana 400 T1+ showing significant improvements throughout the week. Gutiérrez expressed heartfelt gratitude to Santana for their trust and support, stating, “I want to sincerely thank Santana for believing in me, for giving me this opportunity, and for welcoming me with such warmth from the very beginning. In such a short time, they have made me feel part of a family. I also want to thank the entire team for their incredible work and my sponsors, Red Bull and Visita Burgos, who have supported me throughout, especially during times when I couldn’t compete. I leave this rally feeling very happy, very grateful, and eager for more. It feels wonderful to be back.”
In addition, it is worth noting that Cristina Gutiérrez Herrero, hailing from Burgos, is the first Spanish woman to finish the Dakar Rally in the car category (2017) and was crowned Challenger category champion in 2024. In 2026, she embarked on a new chapter with the Santana Racing Team alongside Marc Solà, with aspirations for Dakar 2027.
Here are the results from the fifth stage:
- Eryk Goczal (Ford): 3:17:55
- João Ferreira (Toyota): +00:56
- Lucas Moraes (Dacia): +01:48
- Mathieu Serradori (Century): +02:15
- Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia): +02:31
- Seth Quintero (Toyota): +02:31
- Nani Roma (Ford): +03:23
- Mitch Guthrie Jr. (Ford): +04:00
- Carlos Sainz (Ford): +04:25
- Henk Lategan (Toyota): +04:28
- 13. Cristina Gutiérrez (Santana): +07:56
Final standings for the Rally of Morocco are as follows:
- Seth Quintero (Toyota): 16:34:05
- João Ferreira (Toyota): +04:23
- Henk Lategan (Toyota): +04:42
- Nani Roma (Ford): +07:01
- Mitch Guthrie Jr. (Ford): +08:23
- Carlos Sainz (Ford): +09:25
- Mathieu Serradori (Century): +13:53
- Eryk Goczal (Ford): +18:53
- 9. Cristina Gutiérrez (Santana): +38:14
- Martin Prokop (Ford): +44:23
- Isidre Esteve (Toyota): +2:18:56
As reported by atodomotor.com.
