France's Sebastien Loeb, driving a Citroen C4, won the Rally of Finland, the ninth in the 15-race World Rally Championship series, for the first time on Sunday.

The four-time world champion finished nine seconds ahead of Finland's Mikko Hirvonen in a Ford Focus, with Australia's Chris Atkinson finishing third three minutes off the pace in a Subaru Impreza.

"It's fantastic, an incredible feeling, winning here in Finland means so much to me," said Loeb. "I desperately wanted to win this rally because it's been one of the hardest."

"It is certainly one of my greatest victories, one that gives me enormous satisfaction," added Loeb, who has won 42 rallies and six this season.

Loeb (34) had never won before in Finland and becomes just the eighth non-Finnish driver to win in 58 editions of one of the fastest races in the calendar.

The victory means that Loeb cuts homeboy Hirvonen's lead in the drivers' championship to just one point.

"I wanted to win here, but it was still a fantastic event," said Hirvonen, who was born and raised in the town of Jyvaskyla.

He added: "The championship fight is not over, but of course all the rallies coming up are more important now. It's not over yet!"

Aussie ace Atkinson, who is yet to win a rally, was happy with his progress on the tricky forest course.

"We couldn't catch those two guys (Loeb and Hirvonen) but I'm happy with our performance," he said.

"The other advantage this year was that Marcus (Gronholm, who has won seven times since 2000) was not here.

"We have progressed well but we still have a lot of work to do with our new car," said Atkinson, who sits fourth in the championship.

Loeb lead all the way, winning 15 of the 24 specials, and holding on to his lead despite a slight scare early on Sunday morning at the start of the penultimate SS23 when his C4 spun off the track.

The next race this season takes place in Germany on the weekend of August 15, on a track more familiar to the driver from neigbouring Alsace.

AFP