Ogier wins Jordan Rally

Citroen Total World Rally Team’s Sebastien Ogier has won the Jordan Rally by the narrowest of margins from BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Jari-Matti Latvala.

The Frenchman, 27, came from half a second behind to set the fastest time on the closing stage and overhaul Latvala by two tenths of a second.

It is the narrowest victory margin in the history of the World Rally Championship - beating the previous record of 0.3s when Marcus Gronholm pipped Sebastien Loeb on the 2007 Rally New Zealand.

“Incredible,” said Ogier. “An incredible day. I had to push like hell today. It’s an amazing feeling. Jari-Matti was so fast today and I had to drive flat out. I’m so happy to end like this.”

Ogier started the day with a lead of 31.6 seconds after making a tactical gamble to go flat out on the final stage of the first day, risking the possibility that he would be hindered by running first on the road during day two. Latvala duly overhauled Ogier to lead by 0.5 seconds going into the final stage.

Today’s win is Ogier’s second consecutive victory in the 2011 World Rally Championship, and the first time a driver has taken a maximum score from a rally this year - with 25 points for the overall win plus three bonus points for leading the Power Stage.

SS20: Power Stage win for Ogier

Sebastien Ogier has won the Jordan Rally’s Power Stage in his Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC to claim three world championship bonus points.

Over the final 10.50 kilometre test, which was broadcast live on television, he was four hundredths of a second quicker than BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Mikko Hirvonen, and a crucial 0.7 seconds ahead of Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Ogier. “Jari-Matti was so fast today and I had to drive flat out. I’m so happy to end like this.

“We were full on it but I definitely gave it the best shot I had,” said Hirvonen, who takes two bonus points to add to his fourth place overall. “I’m a little bit disappointed with the overall result because yesterday I struggled, but today was better.”

Ogier’s team-mate Sebastien Loeb seemed to have settled for third place overall but gave it everything in the final stage as he tried to secure the full complement of bonus points. He fell 0.3 seconds short.

“I did a big mistake near the end of the stage,” said Loeb. “I went completely wide in the sand and it felt like I lost two seconds.”

Latvala dropped time in the middle of the final stage and at one point was 4.5 seconds down. An enormous push over the closing kilometres brought him to 0.7 seconds away from the leaders, but it was not quite enough to hold on to his overall lead. Ogier took the win by 0.2 seconds.

“I pushed very hard and if I lose I can be satisfied with second place,” Latvala said as he climbed out of his car. “I pushed as much as I can.”

Final standings: