Solberg lauds rival Loeb

Loeb took charge of the rally from the first leg and it was only at the event's penultimate stage on Sunday that Solberg powered past the Frenchman to take the lead and the eventual win. Solberg admitted that it had been one of his toughest wins thanks to a determined Loeb.

"It's been the hardest finish to a rally that I can remember," he said. "But one of the best. Sebastien is a very determined guy. He is a very good driver, but he's also a really nice guy and really good fun to fight with.

"We had the most incredible battle - this is a good result for the sport and we put on a great show, but it wasn't easy task for me today. On the first part of Margam it was very slippery. I hit rocks and everything, but when it dried out I thought I had to go for it and absolutely nailed it. I tried everything and luckily it worked out."

Meanwhile, Subaru boss David Lapworth was full of praise for his charge and admitted he couldn't believe the pace Solberg set in the final stages of the rally.

"As Petter went through the [Margam] stage, we started to see the advantage of our tyre choice," he said. "But, more than anything, it was down to Petter's unbelievable commitment to win the rally. I think his last few splits were out of this world.

"The last two rallies have been a testament to a superb team effort. We had a spell of bad luck, but the way the whole team has pulled together to turn it around has been phenomenal. Petter winning his third Rally GB and the eighth for Subaru in the last 11 years is also proof of the strength of our Pirelli tyres in these [wet] conditions."