LLORET DE MAR, Spain (AFP) - Estonia's Markko Martin won his second successive world championship rally here as he took the Rally of Catalonia driving a Ford Focus.
The Estonian recorded his fifth career success just two weeks after winning the Rally of Corsica by finishing 23.2 seconds ahead of Finland's Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot 307).
Spaniard Carlos Sainz took third another 14sec adrift in a Citroen Xsara in what was the 96th time the soon to retire driver had made the podium.
Martin, who was winning his third rally of the campaign, said that he had decided to take the final day easy.
"I drove according to the news I was getting from the team on my rivals," said Martin.
"I adjusted my rhythm according to theirs and drove carefully.
"Maybe that wasn't the best way of doing things as it is more dangerous to drive slowly in the Rally's."
However Martin was delighted that the car had at last proven its dominance on the tarmac surface.
"Last year we wanted to show we were the best over tarmac but failed to do so but this year we have shown beyond doubt that we are the best.
"Once (Sebastien) Loeb went out of the race I had no rivals and it was just up to me to avoid losing it by crashing out."
It was left to Gronholm and Sainz to fight out the battle for second with the Finn prevailing because of his more reliable car.
Sainz, though, will hope to bow out of the sport in Australia in a fortnight's time in glorious fashion and add a 27th victory - he already holds the record for rally wins - to his glittering career which has seen the 42-year-old captuire two world championships.
"This was a very emotional Rally for me," admitted Sainz.
"It doesn't really matter to me about the end result because people turned out en masse to watch me and bid me farewell.
"They gave me a superb present and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."
10/31/2004 - 15:52 GMT - AFP