Cristiana Oprea

Rally racing // Romania

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Cristiana Oprea, Romania’s first female WRC and ERC driver. Born 11 March 1992, studied architecture but pursued racing, starting as a co-driver in 2015. Notable achievements include 2018’s first Romanian female rally crew in 50 years at Rally Sliven, 2019’s ERC Ladies Trophy at Rally di Roma Capitale, and 2022’s WRC debut at Croatia Rally.

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nickname:

Kiki

Birthday:

March 10, 1992 (33)

Birthplace:

Romania

racing type:

Rally racing

team(s):

racing status:

Pro

height:

165cm

residence:

Bucharest, Romania

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One thing is certain: motorsport is such a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but I wouldn’t have it any other way

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FULL BIO: Cristiana Oprea
Cristiana Oprea is a trailblazing Romanian rally driver who has broken barriers as the first Romanian woman to compete in both the World Rally Championship and European Rally Championship, while also founding “Femei în Motorsport” to promote women in racing.

EARLY YEARS

Born on March 11, 1992, Cristiana’s path to motorsports was unconventional. She initially pursued education in Urban Planning (2010-2014) and Architecture (2011-2017) at the “Ion Mincu” University in Bucharest before unexpectedly entering racing after working with the PR team of the Romanian Motorsport Federation in 2015, which exposed her to rally racing.

EARLY SUCCESS

Oprea’s journey began as a co-driver for George Grigorescu, a former National Champion and Dacia Cup founder, before transitioning to driving herself in 2015 at a hillclimb event in a Dacia Logan. By 2017, she had committed to full-time rallying in the Dacia Cup with a Dacia Sandero, with her breakthrough coming in 2019 at Argeș Rally where she and co-driver Diana Hațegan secured second place overall in the Dacia Cup—the highest finish for a female driver in the series since 2007.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2018: Finished fifth overall in the Dacia Cup Championship out of thirteen crews[1].
- 2019: Became the first female driver to reach the podium in the thirteen-year history of the Dacia Cup Championship at Rally Agres[1].
- 2019: With Diana Hațegan, became the first all-Romanian female crew to represent Romania at FIA ERC’s Rally di Roma Capitale[1].
- 2022: Made her World Rally Championship debut at events in Croatia and Spain[1].
- 2024: Secured partnership with Autovit.ro as ambassador, supporting her continued participation in the FIA European Rally Championship[2].
REPUTATION

Cristiana has cemented her status as a pioneering figure in Romanian motorsport, breaking multiple barriers for women in racing. Her innovative spirit extends beyond competition to founding the “Femei în Motorsport” platform to promote and empower women in Romanian motorsport. In 2019, she became the first Romanian female driver to compete in an international rally outside Romania in over 50 years at Rally Sliven in Bulgaria, demonstrating her commitment to expanding horizons for women in racing.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Looking beyond 2024, Oprea aims to challenge for podium positions in both the European Rally Championship and electric rally series. She has expressed enthusiasm for electric motorsport, viewing it as an opportunity to attract new fans and sponsors. Cristiana plans to continue competing at elite levels while serving as an ambassador for women in motorsport through her “Femei în Motorsport” initiative, working to inspire the next generation of female racers.

References:

Walero – Cristiana Oprea Profile
Wikipedia – Cristiana Oprea
Dive-Bomb – Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Cristiana Oprea
Walero Athletes – Cristiana Oprea