Latvala: Hirvonen will return to form

Hirvonen has suffered his toughest year as a professional driver, enjoying just one World Rally Championship victory this season.

Last year, the Finn finished runner-up, missing out on the title by just a single point. This season he was sixth, 150 points behind winner Sebastien Loeb.

"This has been a tough year for Mikko," said Latvala. "I know what this is like for him, I have been there. But I know that he will bounce back. It's been a very frustrating year for Mikko and that's tough after he lost such a close battle last season.

"The car hasn't always been perfect for him this year and there have been a couple of mistakes: Finland was a big accident, but he has put all of that behind him. Look at the times he was doing in Wales on the final day, this was close, this was like the old Mikko coming back. For me, he will definitely be back next year."

Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson echoed those sentiments, saying: "He had good days on Saturday and Sunday in Wales. Mikko knew what he had to do and he did it. It's coming back for Mikko, I'm confident.

"He's not challenging [Sebastien] Loeb and Jari at the moment, but he will be there. The good thing is that he's going to be in the car a lot over the closed season and we're starting the new season in Sweden which is a strong event for us."