Henk Lategan holds on to first place after stage 8 of the Dakar

The eighth stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally took place south of the Saudi capital, offering two distinct routes for the FIM and FIA categories, with more than 480 kilometers of challenges. The participants faced a complex network of tracks that tested their navigation skills and ability to tackle hills and fast sections.

General standings after Stage 8

Henk Lategan maintained his position at the top of the overall standings despite receiving a two-minute penalty for exceeding the speed limit in a controlled area. He completed the stage in 4 hours, 49 minutes, and 54 seconds, leading his teammate Guy Botterill by 1 minute and 47 seconds. Mathieu Serradori, driving a Century CR7 T1+, rounded out the podium 4 minutes and 4 seconds behind the leader.

Lucas Moraes, winner of the previous stage, faced challenges opening the track, losing more than two minutes at the start due to the lack of references left by the motorcycles. Despite this, he remained competitive overall.

Setbacks for top competitors

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mattias Ekström had a tough day. The Qatari lost 34 minutes and 14 seconds to the leader, while the Swede fell 28 minutes and 55 seconds behind. These gaps positioned Yazeed Al Rajhi as Lategan's closest rival, though he also suffered a delay of 5 minutes and 41 seconds.

Spanish driver Pau Navarro claimed victory in the Challenger class, finishing 1 minute and 23 seconds ahead of Paul Spierings. In the SSV category, Brock Heger maintained a steady pace, keeping his overall lead with a 1-hour and 41-minute advantage over Xavier de Soultrait.

In the truck category, Martin Macík achieved his fourth stage win of the week, extending his overall lead to 2 hours and 29 minutes over Mitchel van den Brink. The latter now faces pressure from Ales Loprais, who trails by just 2 hours and 36 minutes.

Major withdrawals and mechanical problems

One of the most notable moments was the withdrawal of Giniel De Villiers, who was unable to continue due to an injury to his co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz. De Villiers, the 2009 Dakar winner, had completed 286 consecutive stages since his debut in 2003.

Meanwhile, Guillaume de Mévius faced mechanical issues with his Mini that took him out of contention for the top spots. Despite leading in the early kilometers, a breakdown delayed him by more than an hour and a half.

Improvements from independent teams

Mathieu Serradori showcased the potential of his Century CR7 T1+, developed in collaboration with South African engineers. His third-place finish in the stage puts him less than three minutes behind Mitch Guthrie in the overall standings, with a Top 5 position within reach. His teammate, Brian Baragwanath, also delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth.

The Empty Quarter challenge in the final stages

As the countdown to the finish line continues, competitors are preparing to face the Empty Quarter, where dunes will once again be the main challenge. The standings remain tight, anticipating possible changes in positions.

General standings after Stage 8

Pos.	No.	Driver-Co-Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	211	(zaf) HENK LATEGAN (zaf) BRETT CUMMINGS	TOYOTA GAZOO RACING	42h 05' 02''
2	201	(sau) YAZEED AL RAJHI (deu) TIMO GOTTSCHALK	OVERDRIVE RACING	42h 10' 43''	+ 00h 05' 41''
3	226	(swe) MATTIAS EKSTRÖM (swe) EMIL BERGKVIST	FORD M-SPORT	42h 33' 57''	+ 00h 28' 55''
4	200	(qat) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH (fra) EDOUARD BOULANGER	THE DACIA SANDRIDERS	42h 39' 16''	+ 00h 34' 14''
5	228	(usa) MITCHELL GUTHRIE (usa) KELLON WALCH	FORD M-SPORT	43h 00' 41''	+ 00h 55' 39''
6	209	(fra) MATHIEU SERRADORI (fra) LOIC MINAUDIER	CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM	43h 03' 26''	+ 00h 58' 24''
7	216	(arg) JUAN CRUZ YACOPINI (esp) DANIEL OLIVERAS	OVERDRIVE RACING	43h 37' 13''	+ 01h 32' 11''
8	204	(usa) SETH QUINTERO (deu) DENNIS ZENZ	TOYOTA GAZOO RACING	43h 41' 56''	+ 01h 36' 54''
9	240	(prt) JOAO FERREIRA (prt) FILIPE PALMEIRO	X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM	44h 10' 09''	+ 02h 05' 07''
10	214	(zaf) BRIAN BARAGWANATH (zaf) LEONARD CREMER	CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM	44h 16' 49''	+ 02h 11' 47''