Dakar Rally Champs Carlos Sainz, Cristina Gutierrez Swap Racing Boots For Wetsuits - In Pics

Four-time Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz, who won the Dakar in the car class in January, and recently-crowned Dakar champion in light prototypes Cristina Gutiérrez know how to push the limits in adventure sport. Both of them captured titles last month at world's most prestigious offroad event, which takes place over two weeks and 12 stages of rugged racing. In January 2024 both Sainz and Gutiérrez came out on top as the Dakar Rally set an unforgiving 5,000-kilometre route through Saudi Arabia's most inhospitable terrain. At the conclusion of 12 stages of desert racing, some days measuring as much as 600 kilometres across towering sand dunes, it was Carlos Sainz who was crowned champion of the Ultimate class. Cristina Gutiérrez took the laurels in the Challenger category, becoming only the second female driver to taste victory during the Dakar's 46 years of competition. Last week, they brought their full-throttle mindset to Alinghi Red Bull Racing during a day of training and high-speed sailing on the Red Sea. After group introductions and a tour of the team's Jeddah training base, Carlos and Cristina jumped in the cockpit of their AC40s for a lesson in hydro foiling and all-out racing on the water. Carlos Sainz was on-board with Nicolas Charbonnier, Nicolas Rolaz and Bryan Mettraux and Cristina Gutiérrez was on the other AC40 with Arnaud Psarofaghis, Yves Detrey and Lucien Cujean.

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Updated on: 27 February 2024 4:34 pm