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Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala overcame a late puncture to win the Rally of Sweden on Sunday and make amends for crashing out of the Monte Carlo season-opener on the first day.

The 26-year-old Finn beat compatriot and former team mate Mikko Hirvonen, now with Citroen, by 16.6 seconds while eight-times World champion Sebastien Loeb finished a distant sixth.

Loeb, winner in Monte Carlo, saw his hopes vanish when he hit a snow bank on the opening day but the Frenchman retained the championship lead by winning the power stage for three extra points.

Loeb now has 39 points to Hirvonen's 32 and Norwegian Petter Solberg's 29. Latvala has 26.

Latvala had to overcome a late scare when he hit an exposed rock and punctured the front right tyre on the 22nd stage, two from the end, in a setback that slashed his lead from more than half a minute to eight seconds and cranked up the pressure.

Latvala, who was able to reassert himself and rebuild his lead while Hirvonen struggled on worn tyres, said later: “It’s amazing. Four years ago I won this rally and now I got it again

“The first time I won this rally I became the youngest ever winner of a World championship rally and beat my hero Henri Toivonen's record. It's fantastic to win it again,” added the Finn.

Solberg, Latvala's 37-year-old team mate, hit the same rock on the same 22nd stage and lost third place to compatriot Mads Ostberg, also in a Ford.

Latvala said: “We got a lot of pressure after Monte and I felt the pressure coming to this event. This has taken a lot of pressure out of the coming events

“I think we're really going to challenge Citroen. We're working very hard.”

The victory was Ford's sixth in a row on the snowy Swedish roads, and their cars filled four of the top five places at the ceremonial finish in Karlstad. - Reuters

RESULTS

1 Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) Ford 3hours 18min28.3

2 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen +16.6sec

3 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Ford +38.8

4 Petter Solberg (Norway) Ford +1min14.3

5 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) Ford +2min41.4

6 Sebastien Loeb (France) Citroen +2min55.1

7 Henning Solberg (Norway) Ford +3min49.5

8 Patrik Sandell (Sweden) Mini +5min8.9

9 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Ford +5min30.0

10 Eyvind Brynildsen (Norway) Ford +06min27.2

DRIVER STANDINGS

1 Sebastien Loeb (France) Citroen - 39 points

2 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen - 32

3 Petter Solberg (Norway) Ford - 29

4 Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) Ford - 26

5 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) Ford - 21

6 Daniel Sordo (Spain) Mini - 18

7 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Ford - 15

8 Francois Delecour (France) Ford - 8

9 Henning Solberg (Norway) Ford - 6

10 Pierre Campana (France) Mini - 6

11 Ott Taenak (Estonia) Ford - 4

12 Patrik Sandell (Sweden) Mini - 4

13 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Ford - 4

14 Armindo Araujo (Portugal) Ford - 1

15 Eyvind Brynildsen (Norway) Ford - 1

CONSTRUCTORS

1 Citroen Total WRT - 65 points

2 Ford World Rally Team - 55

3 M-Sport Ford WRT - 28

4 Mini WRC Team - 26

5 Qatar World Rally Team - 8

6 Armindo Araujo WRT - 4

7 Palmeirinha Rally - 2

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