World champion Sebastien Loeb rounded off his World Rally season in fine style by claiming his maiden Wales Rally GB victory on a dramatic final day.
The Frenchman had entered the final leg trailing Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala by 7.3 seconds but soon set about trimming that lead as he set fastest times on the first two of Sunday's four stages, moving to within 1.4 seconds of the Finn, who was struggling running first on the slippery stages.
The Citroen driver then set the fastest time on the day's third test, a second run through the Rheola forestry, which looked set to give him a handy lead, only for officials to hit the five-time champion with a 10 second penalty for jumping the start.
The penalty was later rescinded after organisers studied video footage of the incident, but at the time it allowed Latvala to extend his advantage to 2.2 seconds as the leaders prepared for the final run through Port Talbot.
Loeb's 11th win of the season, a new record, and a podium for Dani Sordo, who was over a minute behind the leading pair, also ensured that Citroen took the manufacturers' championship title ahead of Ford.
Loeb was ecstatic to have claimed victory, even though he felt the officials had been wrong to hand him his earlier penalty.
He said: ‘It's not possible that I jumped the start, I think they got it wrong.
‘It was really tricky with the ice but this win was really enjoyable - it was such a good fight with Jari-Matti. I tried everything I could during that last stage.’
Latvala was disappointed not to claim his second career victory, having won in Sweden earlier this season, but was generous in his praise for his rival.
He said: ‘I tried the best I could. I could not have driven any better and in the end the best man won.’
Petter Solberg took a solid fourth for Subaru after a fine run in his Impreza while Per-Gunnar Andersson was fifth for Suzuki, equalling his best result of the season.
Belgian Francois Duval was sixth for the Stobart Ford team after Henning Solberg's privateer
Ford Focus suffered broken left rear suspension on the penultimate stage to drop him out of the reckoning.
Toni Gardemeister was seventh in the second Suzuki, with championship runner-up Mikko Hirvonen taking eighth after making a fine recovery from a roll on the opening day.
Cumbria's Matthew Wilson finished just outside the points in ninth with Aberdeen's Barry Clark a fine 10th.
Six-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi finished an impressive 12th after working his way through the field as others hit trouble.
Cardiff, 7 December (World Rally Championship, Rally of Great Britain):
Leading final positions after Special Stage 19:
1 Sebastien Loeb (Fra) Citroen 2hrs 43mins 09.600secs
2 Jari-Matti Latvala (Fin) Ford 2:43:22.300,
3 Dani Sordo (Spa) Citroen 2:44:30.200,
4 Petter Solberg (Nor) Subaru 2:45:09.200,
5 Per-Gunnar Andersson (Swe) Suzuki 2:47:13.700,
6 Francois Duval (Bel) Ford 2:48:17.400,
7 Toni Gardemeister (Fin) Skoda 2:48:34.600,
8 Mikko Hirvonen (Fin) Ford 2:48:48.400,
9 Matthew Wilson (Gbr) Ford 2:51:23.500,
10 Barry Clark (Irl) Citroen 2:53:02.700
