Meeke wins Rally of Mexico after late scare

(Reuters) – Kris Meeke won the Mexican round of the World Rally Championship for Citroen on Sunday after final stage drama that saw the Briton almost miss out when he went off road and through a spectator car park.

The Northern Irish driver finished 13.8 seconds ahead of France’s four-times world champion Sebastien Ogier, in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta, with Belgian Thierry Neuville third for Hyundai.

Meeke had led the Rally Guanajuato Mexico since Friday but jeopardized his fourth career win when he went off the road less than a kilometer from the finish of the final Power Stage while leading by some 40 seconds.

Ogier leads the standings with 66 points after three of 13 rounds, with Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala second on 58 for Toyota. Meeke moved up to sixth overall with 27.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)