A brilliant five-hour drive to the Saudi Arabia capital of Riyadh has earned Dakar Rally leader Henk Lategan the stage win and breathing room.

Henk Lategan's overall Dakar Rally lead was cut to seven minutes and 16 seconds as Yazeed Al-Rajhi closed the gap to the South African despite issues with his car, while Mini's Guillaume de Mevius and Joao Ferreira were the first two to finish stage six in Saudi Arabia.

South African Henk Lategan (Toyota) consolidated his lead atop the driver standings of the Dakar Rally by winning the eighth stage on Monday.

Henk Lategan’s lead of the Dakar Rally has melted to 21 seconds after a chaotic seventh stage for timings in the Saudi desert.

Toyota's Henk Lategan dominated stage eight of the Dakar Rally on Monday, and despite a speed violation, the win extended his overall lead after the previous day's chaotic race had virtually wiped out his advantage over closest rival Yazeed Al-Rajhi.

A brilliant five-hour drive to the Saudi Arabia capital earned Dakar Rally leader Henk Lategan the stage win and breathing room on Monday. While every other driver grizzled about how tough navigating the 488-kilometer eighth stage from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh was,

Lategan extends advantage over nearest challenger Yazeed Al-Rajhi