TV motorsport pundit Tony Jardine defied treacherous conditions and sub-zero temperatures to complete the gruelling Arctic Lapland Rally in snowbound northern Finland.

Jardine, driving a factory supported MG ZR, kept his cool as a catalogue of top Scandanavian drivers crashed out during the two-day event around the Arctic Circle city of Rovaniemi.

Said Jardine: “This is the sixth time I’ve competed in the Arctic Lapland Rally and I’ve never known such treacherous and testing conditions. We were passing wrecked cars on just about every stage.”

Jardine and co-driver Kevin Piper were the only British team in a 150-strong field. Their Sportinglife.com sponsored MG finished 38th after starting 76th. “It’s a great result for us,” said Jardine.  “It was a real battle for survival. We were relieved as much as anything to finish.”

Double Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen was also celebrating after finishing an impressive seventh in his Toyota Corolla. “It’s only the second time I’ve competed in this rally,” he said. “Last year we were 33rd so this is a real improvement. Perhaps I’m getting the hang of it!”

The Arctic terrain once again proved a real car-breaker with more than half the field sliding out of the 1,000 kilometre event, featuring 13 special stages.

Jardine is looking forward to swapping his Michelin spiked snow tyres for more familiar gravel tyres as he prepares for his next challenge in the RAC Auto Windscreens MG ZR, the Sunseeker Rallye in Bournemouth later this month (Feb).