Four-time world champion Sebastien Loeb of France won the Rally Finland on Sunday for the first time and closed in on the overall championship lead.
Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, the overall leader, finished nine seconds behind in second place after 340 kilometers (211 miles) of special stages.
"It was a great fight all week," Citroen driver Loeb said. "You had to be careful not to miss any junctions, and to not go over the limit."
The 34-year-old Frenchman is now just one point behind Hirvonen in the world championship standings. Ford driver Hirvonen, 28, has 67 points against Loeb's 66, with six events left.
"It feels really good," Loeb said. "It is hard to remember all my wins, but this absolutely ranks as one of the very best. The greatest satisfaction from a win comes when it is a result of such a fight."
Loeb has won a record 42 championship events, but had never been victorious on the fast gravel roads in central Finland, one of the circuit's most prestigious races.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon called Loeb to congratulate him on his "great performance," according to a statement by Fillon's office.
"This latest success by a French driver and the Citroen team completes an exceptional honor," Sunday's statement said.
During the first day Loeb took a 14.4-second lead and increased it to 18.2 on Saturday. Loeb dropped 9.2 seconds on the last two stages Sunday, securing a 9.0-second win.
"I cannot complain, I gave it all and cannot tell what could have been done better," Hirvonen said. "Loeb just throttled his way a few seconds faster."
Australian Chris Atkinson, in a Subaru, kept his third place during the last stages Sunday. Atkinson also moved to third overall with 37 points, two ahead of Spain's Daniel Sordo. Finland's Jari-Matti Latvala is a further point behind.
