World champion Sebastien Loeb ended his season in style in Salou on Sunday with victory in the closing Rally of Spain.

The Citroen driver beat Jari-Matti Latvala in a Ford Focus with his Citroen teammate Mikko Hirvonen taking third.

This was Loeb’s 76th career win, the French rally legend coming in seven seconds clear of Latvala, who claimed third in the overall drivers’ standings, with Hirvonen 1min 46.8s adrift.

Loeb, the nine-times champion who is planning to compete in only four or five rallies next season as he shifts his focus to the World Touring Car Championship, said: “This win has a special flavour, the last one in a complete season for us. It’s true it’s good to remain unbeaten here in recent years, and it’s good to finish on a high note.”

Loeb, who was crowned the 2012 champion in the Rally of France in October, ended up with 270 points in the overall standings, from Hirvonen on 213 and Latvala with 154.

This was his eighth win in the Rally of Spain.