Script:

Sebastien Ogier secured his third successive World Rally Championship with victory in Rally Australia.

Ogier's win in the three-day road gravel event in New South Wales was his seventh of the season.

The French driver beating Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala by 12.3 seconds.

Ogier joins Sebastien Loeb, Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen in winning three or more world titles:

SOUNDBITE: (English), Sebastien Ogier:

"So many great performance and I think this one this weekend is once again a very, very high one. It was for sure the most difficult rally to open the road and still we managed to win it. So it is perfect way to get the title again with a victory."

Volkswagen's 1-2 Down Under secured a third manufacturers' crown for the German team. Business as usual.

Ogier won the final seven speed tests to take victory on the east coast.

Briton Kris Meeke had led on the second day but went on to finish third, more than half a minute behind the winner.

The next stage takes place in France next month.