For the second WRC event out of three, Jari-Matti Latvala claimed a career best finish as the Stobart VK M-Sport driver brought his Ford Focus home to a fine fourth place finish on Wales Rally GB.

Fresh from two victories in the Production Car WRC in Australia and New Zealand – and a career best sixth place overall finish in the former – Latvala was given his first run at the wheel of the '06 specification Ford Focus and didn't disappoint with a storming drive through the forests of South Wales.

The 21-year-old Finn produced a series of leading stages times to go into the final leg of the event embroiled in a battle with the Kronos Citroen of Xevi Pons for fourth place, the Spaniard having moved into the position on Saturday's second leg.

However, the opening stages of the final morning saw Latvala outpace his rival by some 35 seconds and he maintained the advantage through to the finish in Cardiff for his best result in a WRC event – and also the best finish yet for the Stobart VK M-Sport team.

“I was very surprised by the result as I expected to be in the top eight on this rally and we have come home in fourth,” he admitted to Crash.net Radio. “I couldn't be happier.

“We had a tough run earlier in the season, but towards the end of the year it started to turn. The two victories in the PWRC were good but this is the best result that I have ever done, to come home fourth on a WRC event.

“The result gives me confidence and now I can have a nice Christmas without having to worry about why I made this mistake or that mistake. I can relax and look to the future and doing some more rallies next year. At the moment there is no news [about 2007]. We have discussed the chance to drive a WRC car but everything is still open so let's see what happens.”

Latvala's mature drive also draw the plaudits from team boss Malcolm Wilson, who was given extra reason to cheer as BP Ford team leader Marcus Gronholm took the rally win – Fords first in GB for 27 years.

“Jari-Matti has done just what I thought he could,” he said. “He has driven with his head and shown good pace this morning to get back into fourth place. It's a great moment for the Stobart VK team, a real moment for them to savour. This is a great weekend to be in a Ford. We've won the manufacturers' championship, we've won the team's round of the championship and Stobart VK is in fourth. Great!”