(Reuters) – Toyota completed a world rally championship double for the second year in a row on Sunday with Frenchman Sebastien Ogier winning the penultimate round in Spain to clinch the manufacturer’s title.
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera had already secured the drivers’ crown when the Finn became the youngest rally world champion at the age of 22 in New Zealand on Oct. 2.
Ogier’s victory in Rally Catalunya-Spain was his first of the season, and first of the hybrid era, but a career 55th for the eight-times world champion who is now competing part-time in the series.
It was also a first for co-driver Benjamin Veillas.
Ogier led the asphalt rally from Friday, when he won three stages. He then took three more on Saturday and Sunday’s final two to win by 16.4 seconds from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville. Rovanpera finished third.
“It’s Benji’s first win so I am very happy for him,” said Ogier. “It’s fantastic to get this win because it was an important weekend for the team.
“It’s not always easy to achieve such results and this season has been very dominant.”
The final rally of the season is in Japan next month.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
