Patrick Anglade set a new record last weekend in Poland for the best overall finish by a Group N Fiesta ST in a WRC event as he took his second successive Fiesta SportTrophy International victory.

Anglade beat the previous record by one place - finishing 24th overall and in the end he finished comfortably ahead of his nearest FSTi rival, Team Abu Dhabi's Bader Al Jabri, who was almost 4 minutes further back.

The result extends Anglade's lead at the top of the FSTi drivers' standings and he now has 97 points, compared to the 52 of Al Jabri.

“It feels very good to have won Rally Poland and I am delighted to have set the new FSTi record for highest overall position on a WRC event,” said Anglade, who had to overcome engine problems on day 1 and a sizeable 'moment' in the final proper test.

“I made a mistake on SS17 which could have ended my rally," he continued, "but everything else was perfect. I missed the left-hand corner and got stuck in a ditch and spectators had to push me out. It was really a heart-stopping moment.

“But now I am really looking forward to going to Rally Finland as the championship leader and renewing my rivalry with Craig Breen.”

Majed Al Shamsi meanwhile completed the podium, recovering well after a suspension problem and a puncture in SS13, which cost him around four minutes.

Further down the order, Castrol Ford Team Türkiye driver Burcu Cetinkaya was fourth, on her first outing in the FSTi this season, followed by Ahmed Al Mansoori, who lost 15 minutes on the opening day.

Russia's Denis Grodetskiy and defending FSTi champion Emre Yurdakul, who had his challenge undermined by electrical problems on day two, were sixth and seventh respectively.