Sebastien Loeb remains on course to secure a fourth straight World Rally Championship title after ending the opening leg of Wales Rally GB in third place.

The Frenchman headed into the season finale with a six point lead over Marcus Gronholm following his win on Rally Ireland but was well aware of how quickly things could change in tricky conditions in the Welsh forests.

With heavy rain and strong winds throughout the day, Loeb admitted that his focus wasn't on going for victory but on securing the result needed to ensure he takes another title, but he survived a scare on the final stage of the day when he suffered lighting issues on the second run through Rheola to end the leg in a position that would give him the crown – despite the fact that Gronholm is ahead of him in second place.

"We have a lead of six points over Marcus," he said. "If he wins, we mustn't finish any lower than fifth to make sure of the title.

"For once, I didn't set out with the intention of winning. It would have been stupid to throw everything away by trying to take the lead. We spent the day trying to adapt our pace to the difficulty of the stages and how we felt. Despite the thick fog that marked this morning's stages, for example, I had confidence in my notes and I managed to find a good pace.

"I didn't take any risks through the muddier parts where braking was very tricky, though. I tried not to cut across the deepest ditches and did what I could to avoid the rocks. There is still a long way to go but I'm glad today is behind us."