Five-time world champion Sebastien Loeb was stripped of victory and relegated to second place in the Rally of Australia yesterday because of a technical infringement with his Citroen car.

The decision meant Ford's Mikko Hirvonen, who had been 12.5 seconds behind Loeb, was declared the winner with the Finn stretching his championship lead to five points with two rounds remaining.

Stewards for the governing body FIA found that the front anti-roll bar link on Loeb's car did not conform to the regulations.

Citroen told the stewards their cars driven by Spain's Dani Sordo and France's Sebastien Ogier were also fitted with the illegal roll bars and as a result all three drivers were handed one-minute penalties and a reprimand issued to the team.

Organisers said Citroen had not appealed the ruling.

Sordo remained in third place despite the penalty while Ogier dropped from fourth to fifth.

The penalty could have a major bearing on deciding a championship already reduced to a straight shoot-out between Loeb and Hirvonen.

Loeb, who won the first five rallies of the season but hasn't won since, would have closed the gap to just one point had the victory stood.

The Frenchman's relegation leaves Hirvonen needing to finish only second in Spain and Britain to take the title even if Loeb wins both races.

The stewards' decision capped three days of drama and controversy in the first Australian rally held on the gravel roads of northern New South Wales.

Friday's first full day was marred by rock-throwing protesters, who claimed the race was damaging the environment and forced the cancellation of two stages, while the final day produced a three-way battle between Loeb, Hirvonen and Sordo.

Loeb won four of the 10 concluding stages to claim what would have been his 53rd career victory.

Hirvonen, who had won the previous three rounds to overtake Loeb at the top of the standings, initially credited Loeb's win to a clever tactical ploy by Citroen late on Saturday afternoon.

Loeb was leading at that point but slowed to let Hirvonen get ahead so the Finn would have to start first yesterday, driving in the worst of the conditions.

Friday's overnight leader and Hirvonen's team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, whose chances of winning were blown by two tyre punctures, was promoted from fifth to fourth because of the penalty to Ogier.

Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg finished sixth and seventh respectively.

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