World Rally Championship: Sebastien Ogier wins Rally Australia
Last Updated: 14/09/14 11:42am
Sebastien Ogier moved closer to retaining the FIA World Rally Championship with a narrow victory in Australia.
Ogier held off Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala by 6.8 seconds in Coffs Harbour with the podium clean sweep securing the German company a second successive manufacturers' crown.
Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen took third in his Polo R ahead of the Citroen of Britain's Kris Meeke.
Ogier now leads Latvala by 50 points with another 75, plus bonuses, available over the last three rounds in France, Spain and Wales.
Latvala won the final power stage on Sunday to claim three bonus points to Ogier's two, but by that point the Frenchman and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia were all but assured of victory - he lost five seconds of his advantage but that was not enough to turn the overall result around.
"There was no better way to come back for the team. It was very frustrating for us to offer them such a bad result at home. At least we did something special this weekend with a one-two-three," Ogier said.
"So I'm very happy for the team and from a personal point of view, it's a good, good step for the championship as well."
