WRC Rally Australia: Sebastien Ogier leads all-Volkswagen podium

The pair broke away from what had begun as a very close five-way lead fight on Friday also involving Andreas Mikkelsen, Kris Meeke and Mikko Hirvonen.

Latvala spent a portion of Saturday in the lead, only to allow Ogier back ahead when he went with soft tyres all round in anticipation of rain on a stage that proved dry and sunny.

Ogier mixed his hard and soft tyres for that loop and moved into a lead he wouldn't relinquish, even though Latvala kept pushing and finished only 6.8 seconds behind.

Meeke did his utmost to get his Citroen among the VWs and led much of the first leg.

His hopes of a podium were finally dashed with a penalty for corner-cutting on Saturday, leaving Mikkelsen with a quiet run to third that let VW clinch its second straight WRC title with its first one-two-three.

With Latvala pipping Ogier to the maximum Powerstage bonus, the Frenchman's championship lead stands at 50 points with three rallies to go, raising the possibility of Ogier clinching his second title at home in France next month.

Meeke easily moved back into fourth ahead of Hirvonen's M-Sport Ford on the final day.

Rally Germany winner Hyundai had to settle for sixth, seventh and 10th with Hayden Paddon, Thierry Neuville and Chris Atkinson this time, with Neuville having been delayed by a impact with a post on SS5.

All three gained a place when Mads Ostberg suffered broken suspension on his Citroen with just one stage to go. He managed to nurse the car home in 13th.

Elfyn Evans and Robert Kubica finished eighth and ninth. Kubica had one of his strongest gravel runs so far, delayed only by a trip off the road on Saturday when distracted by a test of a new automated yellow flag warning system in the cockpit.

Nasser Al-Attiyah won a close-fought WRC2 battle, boosting his title prospects, after various dramas involving main opposition Yazeed Al-Rahji, Jari Ketomaa and Ott Tanak.

LEADING FINISHERS AFTER SS20:

LEADING POWERSTAGE RESULTS:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: