Written by Silvia Cojocaru, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the racing world to the present day. Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today.
Today’s article dives into the fascinating story of Romanian rally driver Cristina Oprea. Her passion and efforts to help young people follow their dreams have transformed Oprea into one of Romania’s most important motorsport figures.
Opera’s personal blog, where she openly discusses her experiences behind the wheel and during other moments of her career, represents a great source of inspiration for anyone sharing her passion for racing.
Born on 11th March, 1992, Oprea’s foray into motorsport weaves a rather interesting story. She studied architecture at university and, when she was younger, had wished to become a veterinarian. She was first introduced to rallying at the age of 23.
During her degree in architecture, she briefly worked for the Romanian Motorsport Federation, in 2015, and later in the year, stepped into a rally car for the first time.
Oprea was a co-driver next to George Grigorescu, founder of the Dacia Cup series, who would go on to become her mentor. Following her newly found love for racing, she created a concept for a Motorsport Excellence Centre in Bucharest, as part of her architecture graduation project.
Oprea would later become a driver in the Dacia Cup series, competing two full seasons in 2017 and 2018. Together with her co-driver, Ioana Stan, they placed fifth in 2018, marking the highest finish for a female racer in the series since 2007.
Her first podium came in 2019 at the Argeș Rally, when she, alongside co-driver, Diana Hațegan took second place overall. Cristina dedicates this result to her deceased grandfather, born in Argeș, on her blog.
Another noteworthy moment in her career came in 2019 at the Sliven Rally in Bulgaria, when Oprea and Hațegan, became the first female pairing in 50 years to represent Romania at an international rally competition. This marked a major moment in the country’s motorsport history.
Later in 2019, the duo took part in the ERC Ladies Trophy, placing eighth in the ERC-3 Rally di Roma Capitale.
In 2022 she competed in the WRC Rally Croatia, therefore becoming the first Romanian female driver to participate in the FIA World Rally Championship. She continues this journey in 2024, participating in the FIA European Rally Championship.
When Oprea decided to make the switch from architecture to rally cars, she did so in hope to help make a difference for Romanian women, in motorsport as well as beyond it.
In 2019 she created the platform “Femei în motorsport” (“Women in motorsport”), in order to uplift other women and promote diversity in the Romanian motorsport environment.
Two years later, Oprea became the national representative of the FIA Women in Motorsport commission, and in 2023, she started to work alongside Centrul Filia, a Romanian feminist organisation. Today, she continues to challenge old beliefs and misconceptions, as her journey is just beginning.
Cristina Oprea says that what made her fall in love with rally racing has nothing to do with adrenaline, but rather the mental strength it takes to be able to make it to the finish line, the ability to make difficult choices and close calls.
Now, Oprea’s story may make other young girls fall in love with racing themselves, aiming to break boundaries and follow their dreams just like she does.
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