9 May 2010

Latvala takes Rally NZ at the finish line

12:36 pm on 9 May 2010

The final day of Rally New Zealand's gone down to the wire with the Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala taking first place overall on an exciting last stage.

Latvala didn't win a stage but kept right in it and came out on top right at the end, 2. 4 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier - who's yet to win a WRC event - after spinning his Citroën three times on the last stage.

A second crash for the world champion Sébastien Loeb also took him out of contention on the Whaanga Coast 1 stage, the second of the final four legs.

Loeb finished third, 15 seconds behind Latvala, to extend his lead in the drivers' championship.

Mikko Hirvonen was fourth, while Dani Sordo won the last stage to finish fifth.

The Citroën privateer Petter Solberg also crashed out of contention and into an electricity pylon, failing to finish. He and his co-driver were unhurt.