An emphatic win for Kris Meeke on this weekend’s Rallye Sanremo with the Peugeot UK 207 Super 2000 was sufficient to wrap up the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge Drivers’ title. The Ulsterman’s performance over what has been a particularly competitive season for him means that the crown goes to a Peugeot driver for the third year running, and comes as icing on the cake for the French brand after it made sure of the Manufacturers’ title in Spain a fortnight ago.

The one-and-a-half day format of this year’s Rallye Sanremo turned it into a genuine sprint event, with barely 200km of competitive action on the programme, at the end of which the top five were covered by just 28 seconds. When Kris Meeke’s main rival Jan Kopecky crashed out on only the second stage of the rally, observers could have been forgiven for expecting the Peugeot driver to cruise home to the finish with a view to profiting from the final round on more familiar territory in Scotland to put the finishing touches to his championship bid. But following a problem with overheating brakes on Friday evening’s long night-time test (44km) due to excessive left-foot braking, Meeke hit the ground running on Leg 2 to claim Saturday’s first two stages and ease to the top of the leaderboard. He then added a further fastest time on the penultimate stage to show exactly who was the boss of the 2009 IRC and put the finishing touches to a well-earned win, his fourth of year following his earlier successes in Brazil, the Azores and Ypres.

Meanwhile, fifth place for Paolo Andreucci was sufficient to hand the Italian Manufacturers’ crown to Peugeot. Peugeot Belgium’s Nicolas Vouilloz finished third, 1.2s behind second-placed Luca Rossetti, while Freddy Loix came fourth, 2.9s down on his team-mate.

Peugeot’s winning weekend in Sanremo was rounded off by the exploit of Frenchman Denis Millet who came second in the two-wheel drive category with his 207 RC to clinch the 2009 IRC two-wheel drive Drivers’ title for himself and the Manufacturers’ crown for Peugeot.

2009 Rallye Sanremo – final positions :
1- Meeke-Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000) +2:20:03.5
2- Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Abarth Grande Punto S2000) +15.7
3- Vouilloz-Klinger (Peugeot 207 S2000) +16.9
4- Loix-Miclotte (Peugeot 207 S2000) +19.8
5- Andreucci-Andreussi (Peugeot 207 S2000) +28.1
6- Travaglia-Granai (Peugeot 207 S2000) +46.5
7- Cantamessa-Capolongo (Peugeot 207 S2000) +1:28.6
8- Hanninen-Markkula (Skoda Fabia S2000) +1:41.8
9- Longhi-Imerito (Skoda Fabia S2000) +2:08.2
10- Perico-Carrara (Peugeot 207 S2000) +2:36.2

Drivers’ standings :
1. Meeke 60 points
2. Kopecky 49
3. Loix 37
4. Vouilloz 31
5. Basso 28
6. Hanninen 21
7. Ogier/Tundo 10
9. Magalhaes/Cavenagh/Rossetti 8
12. Wittmann 7

13. Camacho/Sarrazin

Manufacturers’ standings :
1. Peugeot 112 pts
2. Skoda 73
3. Abarth 43
4. Mitsubishi 42
5. Proton 5
6. Honda 1

Two-wheel drive Drivers’ championship standings :
1. Denis Millet Peugeot 207 RC Rallye 49 points
2. Manuel Villa Abarth 36 points
3. Lazlo Vizin Honda Civic 11 points

Two-wheel drive Manufacturers’ championship standings :
1. Peugeot 80 points
2. Abarth 55 points

3. Honda 53 points