Gutiérrez And Moreno Continue Their Journey With Dacia Sandriders For Upcoming Dakar Rallies

Spaniards Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno are set to continue their rally-raid journey with The Dacia Sandriders. They will compete in the 2026 and 2027 Dakar Rally, along with several rounds of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship. Team principal Tiphanie Isnard expressed enthusiasm about this continuity, highlighting the duo's significant contributions to the team's development and success.

The Dacia Sandriders recently celebrated a third podium finish in four attempts at the South African Safari Rally. This achievement marks their second podium of the current season. The agreement with Gutiérrez and Moreno extends through the 2026 Dakar Rally, two additional W2RC races that year, including the Rallye du Maroc, and the 2027 Dakar Rally.

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Tiphanie Isnard praised Gutiérrez and Moreno for their dedication and teamwork. "All of us at The Dacia Sandriders are really delighted that we will continue our collaboration with Cristina and Pablo," she said. "As a crew, they are performing very well and always inspire the team because they never give up and always work so hard."

Gutiérrez expressed her excitement about extending their contracts with The Dacia Sandriders. She stated, "To be able to extend our contracts with The Dacia Sandriders is one of the biggest moments of my career." She emphasised their focus on helping the team achieve its dream of winning the Dakar.

Pablo Moreno echoed similar sentiments, describing their continued partnership as a dream come true. He said, "It’s super news for us to be able to continue the adventure with The Dacia Sandriders, a team that feels like a family." Their goal remains to win the Dakar Rally with The Dacia Sandriders.

During their first Dakar Rally in the T1+ category, Gutiérrez and Moreno achieved four top 10 stage results. They notably secured fifth place on Stage 1 and sixth fastest time on Stage 10. Despite an early setback on Stage 2, they focused on supporting their teammates throughout the event.

Their teamwork was evident when they assisted Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger after a suspension failure on Stage 4. With Marathon Stage rules limiting outside help, Moreno used his mechanical skills to swap gearboxes for both cars before Stage 5.

Gutiérrez and Moreno also aided Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin by providing spare parts after a roll on Stage 3. They further assisted when an electrical issue struck Loeb's vehicle on Stage 2.

Upcoming Challenges

Next for Gutiérrez and Moreno is the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal from September 22 to 28, part of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. They will drive The Dacia Sandrider with number 212 displayed prominently.

The Dacia brand has been known for offering value-for-money cars since its relaunch by Renault Group in 2004. Models like Sandero have become market references across Europe. Since launching in the UK in January 2013, over 260,000 Dacia vehicles have been sold there.

The article concludes by acknowledging Gutiérrez's and Moreno's ongoing commitment to achieving success with The Dacia Sandriders in upcoming competitions while continuing to support their teammates effectively.