Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen clinched his first World Rally Championship victory after titleholder Sebastien Ogier crashed with a comfortable lead in the final speed test at the Rally of Spain.

Ogier was nearly a minute ahead when he crashed his Volkswagen Polo into a roadside barrier less than four kilometres from the finish in the northeastern region of Catalonia on Sunday.

It gave Mikkelsen his maiden WRC victory and kept alive the Norwegian’s hopes of passing Jari-Matti Latvala for second in the drivers’ standings at next month’s final round in Britain.

Ogier clinched his third consecutive world title at the Rally of Australia last month.