Latvala triumphs in Rally of Great Britain

CARDIFF, United Kingdom - Agence France-Presse

Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland drives his Ford Fiesta RS WRC during the Wales Rally GB 2012. EPA photo

Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala of Ford won the Rally of Great Britain, the 10th leg of the World Rally Championship, ahead of France’s Sebastien Loeb in Cardiff yesterday.

Also victorious in last year’s race, Latvala led practically from the start to finish 27.8sec ahead of championship leader and eight-time world champion Loeb, with Latvala’s Norwegian team-mate Petter Solberg a further 0.9sec back in third place.

The result prevented Citroen from claiming victory in the constructors’ championship, but both Citroen and Loeb will expect to be crowned champions at the Rally of France in Alsace on Oct. 4-7.

Despite a late fightback yesterday, Loeb was unable to undo the damage inflicted during the first two days of the race, when Ford proved more adept at handling the slippery roads in the south Wales countryside. Latvala recorded the seventh victory of his career and his second win this season, after a previous success in Sweden.

It enabled Ford to bring an end to a run of five straight victories for the all-conquering Loeb, who is nonetheless closing in on his ninth successive world championship crown.