The 32-year-old Frenchman won his second consecutive Rally of Sardinia finishing ahead of Finland's Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Focus RS) while his Citroen teammate Dani Sordo of Spain was third.

Loeb, who is within one victory of equalling the record for individual rally victories of 26 held by Spaniard Carlos Sainz, stretched his lead over main rival Marcus Gronholm, the Finn having crashed out on Saturday, to 31 points.

Loeb took control of the race after Gronholm's crash and was never troubled after that, though both 25-year-old Hirvonen and 23-year-old Sordo showed that the new generation of drivers are on their way up.

Loeb bore more the look of a relieved man as he revealed afterwards.

"I thought we would be hard-pushed to beat Marcus this weekend," said Loeb Sunday.

"He was really quick and had no luck at all."

However Loeb confessed that if Gronholm had followed his example then he might not have crashed out.

"When I was forced out of the Rally of Mexico two years ago we reinforced the place on the car where it was damaged, exactly the same spot which forced Marcus out."

For Loeb's co-driver Daniel Elena it was a record-breaking day as he became the most successful one of all-time with 25 race victories dating back to Germany in 2002.