Jari-Matti Latvala wins Rally of Finland

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala saw off a late challenge from Citroen's Sebastien Ogier on Saturday to become the youngest winner of his home Rally of Finland since the event's world championship debut in 1973.

Frenchman Ogier finished second with team mate and championship leader Sebastien Loeb in third after damage to his front bumper on Friday proved costly.

"It's something I've been dreaming of since I was a small boy. The fans in Finland are fantastic and I've won in front of my home spectators," Latvala, 25, told the www.wrc.com website.

"It's amazing, a big relief and a fantastic rally. Our team has done really hard work and this victory is for the team."

Norway's Petter Solberg, who started the day 9.1 seconds behind Latvala in second place, finished fourth in his privately-entered Citroen.

Frenchman Loeb's bid for a seventh world title remains on course as he leads the standings with 166 points, 48 ahead of Ogier. Race winner Latvala is third with 105 points.

"Third place is not what we prefer but I did not come here especially for the win," Loeb told the official website.

"It's not my rally I know because it's difficult for me and third place for the championship is not so bad."

Latvala's team mate and last year's winner Mikko Hirvonen had set the early pace before crashing out spectacularly in Friday's fourth stage after losing control of the car at 140kph.

Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen escaped injury-free.

Four-times world champion Juha Kankkunen, making a one-off comeback at the age of 51 and eight years after his last rally, achieved his ambition of beating fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen and finishing in the points.

Kankkunen was eighth in his Ford Focus while former F1 champion Raikkonen went off the road in his Citroen on Saturday and finished 25th.

- AAP