South African Victory: A Thrilling Stage at Dakar Rally

Saood Variawa clinched victory in the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally, leading a South African one-two finish with Henk Lategan. Nasser Al-Attiyah's overall lead shrank to four minutes while Mattias Ekstrom and Sebastien Loeb remain strong competitors. Luciano Benavides seized control in motorcycles, with fierce competition ahead.

Saood Variawa emerged victorious in a tightly contested eighth stage of the Dakar Rally, forming a South African one-two finish with fellow driver Henk Lategan. The race, set in Saudi Arabia's challenging desert, witnessed Variawa taking the lead over the favored factory entry Lategan by three seconds.

The result left Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah clutching a slimmer overall lead, diminished to four minutes. Al-Attiyah's closest contender, Mattias Ekstrom, secured the third spot on the podium in this longest stage of the rally's 48th edition, further intensifying the battle as the competition heads to Yanbu.

Luciano Benavides led the motorcycle pack, grabbing his third stage win in four days and overtaking teammate Daniel Sanders for the overall lead. The Dakar Rally, now a part of the World Rally-Raid Championship season, continues to test both the skill and endurance of its participants in its gripping 2023 edition.

(With inputs from agencies.)