STAGE 8 Highlights
Dakar 2026 | Stage 8 | WADI AD DAWASIR > WADI AD DAWASIR
BIKES | COULD IT BE BENAVIDES THIS YEAR?
- It is necessary to take a brief look back to just ten days ago. In the pre-race predictions, most observers logically expected a duel between Daniel Sanders and Tosha Schareina, the two riders who clearly dominated the entire 2025 season. Luciano Benavides’ name was mentioned among the outsiders. Sometimes, the outsiders come to the fore and this is what may well be happening now, thanks to another magic day from the Argentinean, who last year showed that he was capable of winning when opening the way and who today repeated this feat on the fortnight’s longest stage. On completion of a faultless solo 483-km adventure, he gobbled up all the bonuses on offer (7’28’’), won his third stage of the 2026 edition and took the lead in the overall rankings, 10’’ ahead of his Australian team-mate, showing he has moved up a grade.
- Of course, the gaps apparent in the overall rankings do not indicate that he has a clear path to Yanbu. The number 1, with the day’s second time and a tiny deficit, still has the right to remain confident. Though behind Sanders, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team riders will still be wary of the threat posed by the Monster Energy Honda HRC squad, particularly from Ricky Brabec, of course, 4’47’’ behind the Argentinean leader on the 3rd step of the provisional podium, and possibly from Tosha Schareina, in 4th position but not totally out of the game in spite of a 20-minute deficit.
- In the Rally 2 class, Mike Docherty’s misfortunes, probably the result of a crash at the very end of the special, benefited Neels Theric, who was the fastest in the class for the third time this year behind the handlebars of his Kove. In the overall rankings, American Preston Campbell remains in the lead, but his advantage has been reduced by two minutes by Toni Mulec, who is now 9’36’’ behind.
AUTOS I VARIAWA BY JUST THREE SECONDS!
- A 20-year-old young man has won in the premium category of the Dakar and it is not even a surprise! Rally-raid aficionados have become used to the exploits of Saood Variawa, especially since last year when he became the youngest winner in the history of the Dakar in the car category. Today, he pulled off a spectacular ascent of the leader board having been the 26th driver to start the special, making progress as the day went on at each of the different time checkpoints until he snatched victory by just 3 seconds, to take success from another Toyota Hilux, driven by his countryman Henk Lategan. On what turned out to be a fast route, the time gaps turned out to be negligible, with seven vehicles within two minutes, meaning to win there was little margin for error.
- Consequently, the drivers out to hunt had no time to lose. Of course, the Dakar first and foremost requires good management to go the distance. Indeed, the mantra that “the main thing is to stay on the right track” is still perfectly relevant. However, the minute won today by Henk Lategan over Nasser Al Attiyah may well prove very useful to the South African when the final reckoning comes. He achieved the second-best time on the loop around Wadi ad Dawasir on the longest special of this year’s Dakar. The advantage is not considerable and his Toyota Hilux will not be in the best position when starting the second marathon-refuge stage tomorrow in second place, without the tracks of the bikes. However, he has nonetheless moved past Nani Roma in the overall rankings to take a place on the provisional podium, 6’08’’ behind the leader, which is something, at least.
- Behind the two South Africans, the day’s podium was completed by Mattias Ekstrom (29’’ behind the winner), who has strengthened his second place in the overall rankings thanks to perfect consistency behind the wheel of his Ford Raptor. The Swedish driver now lies 4’ behind Nasser Al Attiyah but will probably not have the opportunity to continue catching up when he sets off tomorrow morning on the way to the bivouac-refuge.
- At the end of stage 8, the gap between the top 5 drivers is even smaller than it was on the rest day! The third best placed Raptor, driven by Carlos Sainz, is timed at 10’39’’ down on the leader. Meanwhile, Sébastien Loeb, in 6th place, is still within 17 minutes of his Qatari colleague on the Dacia team
PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: A COLOURFUL DAY FOR THE RAINBOW NATION
Today, South Africa achieved the fourth one-two finish of its history in the car category thanks to Saood Variawa and Henk Lategan. Last year, the current 3rd placed driver in the overall rankings won a stage ahead of Guy Botterill. In 2022, Giniel de Villiers finished in front of none other than Lategan, also on a loop around Wadi ad Dawasir. One year earlier than that, the first double also involved the South African legend, followed by Brian Baragwanath.
De Villiers, the godfather of the South African rally school, made his bow on the Dakar in 2003 and won in 2009 with Volkswagen, as well as holding the record of 21 participations without interruption or a premature exit until last year. These metronomic performances put him in the final top 5 fifteen times, including 8 on the podium.
He is an example that today inspires the new generation, who have continued the legacy of his 18 victories on the race. Lategan has already obtained 5 of them, while Variawa has provided an extra dash of colour to the canvas today with the 2nd of his short career. After finishing second on the Dakar 2025, Lategan firmly intends to quickly emulate De Villiers. Why not on 17th January?
Lategan’s Hilux has already led the 48th edition of the Dakar for 48 hours (on stages 4 and 5) and this evening he is 6’08’’ behind the rally leader. South Africa is one of the ‘big five’ in the hunt that will finish in Yanbu.
CRUSHING BLOW OF THE DAY: DE SOULTRAIT TAKES A NOSEDIVE
Xavier de Soultrait, who won the SSV category in 2024, then was hot on the heels of team-mate Brock Heger last year before breaking his front wheel axle unit and seeing the American grab his first triumph, had enjoyed a fine first week on the rally that saw him move into second place again, 20 minutes behind his American colleague’s RZR.
However, a first mishap started to hamper the Frenchman’s progress, when he arrived in Riyadh at the end of a towrope before the rest day. His engine suddenly broke down just after the finishing line of the special, avoiding a catastrophe by a whisker. His team spent the night and most of the day searching for and repairing the problem to avoid a standard engine change which would have entailed a 20-hour penalty.
On tackling the second week of the rally, a strange noise on the link route already had ‘XdS’ worried. The French driver spent the day deprived of four-wheel drive, lost more than 25 minutes and waved goodbye to second place in the overall rankings.
Trailing by almost three quarters of an hour this morning, a prang on the day’s special with Bruno Saby cost him a further forty minutes. This evening, De Soultrait is at the foot of the podium, 1:25’11’’ behind the leader.
STAT OF THE DAY: 2
The future can often be seen in the SSV and Challenger rankings. In light of results over the last few years, it is likely that female drivers will increasingly be competing with their male colleagues for titles.
In 2023, Cristina Gutierrez first won a Challenger special before triumphing outright in 2024. The same year, Sara Price won an SSV special before taking 3 in 2025; in the meantime, Dania Akeel also added her name to the top of the rankings on stage 10 in the Challenger class.
Another milestone has been reached this year in the Challenger class because women have featured on the podium on all but one stage, the first. Today, for the first time, the top two steps were occupied by two women: Puck Klaasen, who tasted victory for the second time this year, followed by Dania Akeel, just three seconds behind.
TRUCKS ACTION
MEGA-GALLERY
Quelle / Source / Pictures / Bilder: Dakar Rally, A.S.O
