Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle took a dramatic first win of the season at Rally Mexico.
However, after a faultless rally, in which they led for all but the two Mexico City stages, it was far from a relaxing ride to the finish. The Citroën C3 WRC pairing went into the closing live TV Power Stage with what looked like an unassailable 37.2 second advantage but, with the finish line in sight, incredibly the pair went off the road. Losing precious time trying to get back on to the stage from a parking area, they astonishingly reached the finish line 13.8 seconds ahead of their rivals in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent times.

"I got caught out on a bump after the jump,” said a shell-shocked Meeke. “I'm a lucky, lucky boy. That's certainly one way to finish a rally!”

The Mexico win marks Meeke and Nagle’s fourth WRC victory, but it was an important first win for the new Citroën C3 WRC which showed so much pre-season promise and had yet to truly deliver. In Meeke’s hands this weekend, however, the multiple Championship-winning Citroën team proved it is back in the fight.

Second position was taken by the M-Sport crew of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. The French duo were happy to maintain position for the sake of solid Championship points and their result sees them back at the top of the Drivers’ standings three events into the season. Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul finally got some decent points on the board for third overall and the Belgian duo also picked up an additional five points for winning the Power Stage.

Ott Tänak finished just off the podium in fourth for the first time this season and Hayden Paddon was fifth. After their overheating problems on Friday, Toyota as good as achieved its pre-event expectations with Jari-Matti Latvala in sixth, his team-mate Juho Hänninen seventh after battling against illness all weekend. Misfire problems dropped Dani Sordo down the order on Friday night, but the Spaniard reached the finish in eighth. Elfyn Evans was ninth, his event compromised from the outset when he picked up a five minute penalty for a pre-start engine change.

The fight in the FIA WRC 2 Championship was intense between Pontus Tidemand and Eric Camilli. The Swede went into the day with two seconds in hand to the Frenchman, but two stage wins assured Tidemand and co-driver Jonas Andersson a second consecutive category win.

In the FIA World Rally Championship, Ogier has an eight point advantage over Latvala with Tänak third a further 10 points adrift. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, M-Sport’s haul of podium places over the first three events sees it head the standings by 36 points over newcomers Toyota GAZOO Racing. Hyundai Motorsport is however only two points behind the Japanese manufacturer.

The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now return to Europe for the first pure asphalt rally of the season, Rallye de France Tour de Corse (6-9 April).

Citroen Team Review:

KRIS MEEKE AND PAUL NAGLE CLAIM THE THE CITROËN C3 WRC'S FIRST WIN!

Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle kept up their impressive form and (just about) held their nerve on the final day of Rally Mexico. Despite running off the road a few corners before the end of the Power Stage, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT crew secured the C3 WRC's maiden rally win!

- The final day of the rally only featured two stages: La Calera (32.96km) and the Derramadero Power Stage (21.94km).

- As the crews left the service park this morning, light rain had started to fall. This led to the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT crews making different calls when it came to tyre choice. Kris Meeke went with four soft and two hard Michelin LTX Force tyres, whilst Stéphane Lefebvre opted to go with six soft compound tyres.

- On the penultimate speed test, Kris Meeke claimed his fifth stage win of the weekend. He extended his lead over Sébastien Ogier by another 6.3s, whilst Stéphane Lefebvre set an excellent third fastest time.

- The team looked on nervously as the crews contested the Power Stage, broadcast live on television. And there was certainly no shortage of drama! With the finishing line almost in sight, the Northern Irishman's Citroën C3 WRC ran wide on a long right-hand corner. The car ran through the hedge at the side of the road and into... a spectator car park!

- Kris managed to keep his cool, get around the parked cars and back onto the road in a few seconds. He crossed the finishing line to secure victory by 13.8 seconds!

- After something of an emotional roller-coaster ride during the final stage, there were scenes of joy and celebration in the team as Kris and Paul were welcomed as champions on their return to the León service park.

- This is Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle's fourth win in the WRC, following Argentina in 2015, and Portugal and Finland in 2016. It is also Citroën’s 97th win in the World Rally Championship.

Yves Matton, Directeur de Citroën Racing
"What happened in the Power Stage is almost beyond belief, even if this kind of thing has occurred before. At the time, there was some confusion as to what had happened; the onboard footage made it look like there had been a major off whereas the tracking system indicated that the car was still moving. When the car crossed the finishing line, we were absolutely thrilled and all the tension and drama just slipped away! This first win on gravel shows that the C3 WRC has some very solid foundations and that the Citroën Racing team did a good job during its development. We'll now be able to work in a slightly more relaxed manner as we look to keep improving."

Kris Meeke
"I think I might end up telling this story hundreds of times… I'm annoyed with myself for making that mistake. The car went wide after a big compression and we were very lucky. I quickly looked to get back on the road because I knew we could still win. That's the main thing: we showed the potential of the Citroën C3 WRC in securing the car's first win. I'm proud and delighted for the entire team, this result is for them."

Stéphane Lefebvre
"We have picked up a lot of experience this weekend. Even today, being eleventh on the road meant I had the same grip as the leaders and I was able to get a feel for what the car can do in these conditions. Well done to Kris, Paul and the whole team; this win is a special moment for Citroën Racing."

Rally Mexico – Official Final Classification (subject to further checks to be carried out by the FIA on the gearbox of car No. 1, Ogier/Ingrassia)

1. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 22min 04.6sec

2. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 22min 18.4sec

3. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 23min 04.3sec

4. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 24min 22.9sec

5. Hayden Paddon / John Kennard Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 25min 37.5sec

6. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 26min 44.9sec

7. Juho Hänninen / Kaj Lindström Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 27min 10.8sec

8. Dani Sordo / Marc Martí Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 27min 27.3sec

9. Eflyn Evans / Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 30min 46.4sec

10. Pontus Tidemand / Jonas Andersson Škoda Fabia R5 3hr 32min 56.5sec