Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo and Citroen Junior driver Sebastien Ogier - who were provisionally classified third and fourth - were also given an identical time penalty.

"The stewards received a post-event scrutineering report from the FIA Technical Delegate which stated that the front anti-roll bar link of car number 1 did not comply with the homologation form of the car," said a statement from the officials. This would have been Loeb's 53rd WRC victory, the sixth in 2009 and the first since Rally Argentina in April.

The Citroen Total C4 team had employed clever tactics to force Mikko Hirvonen to run first on the road on Sunday's final day to "sweep" the loose top surface off the gravel road stages. This move paid off and Loeb turned a 0.1 second deficit into a 12.5 second winning margin after setting fastest time four of the final days 10 special stages.

At the finish - but before the revelations from post-event scrutineering, Loeb said, "This one is a good one. It was a hard fight, and because it's been a long time since our last win it feels especially good. It was really important for the Championship to win here. We've done it and I'm really happy. Spain is next and we're one point behind Mikko - the Championship is really interesting. It will be an incredible fight to the final I think."

As Championship leader after nine of the 12 WRC rounds, Hirvonen was first through the stages on Friday's opening leg, unwillingly sweeping the fine, loose gravel from the road surface to leave a cleaner and faster line for his rivals running behind.

Despite this obvious disadvantage, Hirvonen and his co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen - who celebrated starting his 100th WRC event - did a remarkable job to earn second place in their BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Ford Focus RS WRC, especially after a thrilling last-stage battle with Loeb's team mates Dani Sordo and Marc Martin, after starting the final day in the lead by .01 second.

"It's a shame that after such a thrilling battle for three days the result of the rally is decided in the stewards' room," said 29-year-old Hirvonen. "I suffered a points loss in Portugal two years ago, so I know how Sébastien, in particular, must feel tonight. This decision has a major effect on the championship standings and we now go to Spain with a five point lead."

On stage times, fourth place went to Citroen C4 Junior Team drivers Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. The Frenchman led the rally after the street-stage Super Special on Thursday night and had been one of the star performers of the first half of the event until he crashed on Saturday, effectively ending his chances of winning. Undaunted they bounced back to record eight fastest stage times and win every visit to the Tweed street-stage. "Apart from one mistake yesterday (Saturday) it's been a very good weekend for us," said Ogier. "We were able to fight with all the best drivers in the World Rally Championship and the car worked well, so I'm very happy for everybody in the team!"

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila also led the rally - from SS 4 up to SS 20. They suffered two punctures on Saturday but, after the penalty applied to the three Citroens, moved up from fifth to fourth place, earning valuable pointes for the Cumbria-based Ford team, who now trail Citroen by the reduced margin of 13 points with two events and a maximum of 36 points available.

Stobart VK M-Sport's Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin held a consistent seventh for much of the rally and moved up to sixth in their Focus RS WRC, despite a puncture on Sunday morning. They edged ahead of team-mates Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud before they spun and then dropped further time with brake problems. The Norwegians took back seventh place after overhauling Munchi's Ford drivers Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc on the 35th and final stage.

The production category - Group N - was won by Haden Paddon and John Kennard from New Zealand, who finished 9th overall in their Team Green NZ Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1X.

Martin Prokop and Jan Tomanek, the newly-crowned FIA Junior World Rally Champions, were classified 10th overall and first in the P-WRC category in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X1.

Subject to the outcome of an appeal lodged by Barwa Rally Team against Nasser Al-Attiyah's exclusion from the results of the Acropolis Rally of Greece, Portugal's Armindo Araújo is now provisionally 2009 P-WRC Champion. After a troubled event, including overturning his Mitsubishi in SS 18, he finished 13th overall and fourth in the P-WRC.

Citroen Junior Team members Conrad Rautenbach partnered by Lancashire's Daniel Barritt started the final day under SupeRally Rules but retired with a holed radiator. On stage times, they were classified 17th overall at the end of SS 35.

In the league tables of fastest stage times Loeb won nine, Ogier eight, Latvala seven, Hirvonen five and Sordo four. Two of the 35 Stages were cancelled by the organisers.

From 40 starters there were 26 classified finishers.

For news and results from Repco Rally Australia, the 10th event in the 12-round 2009 FIA World Rally Championship, visit: www.rallyaustralia.com/

For all the latest news, video clips, audio, etc, from the FIA World Rally Championship go to http://www.wrc.com/

WRC Manufacturer Team websites:
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://www.bpfordwrc.com/
Citroën Total World Rally Team http://www.citroen-wrc.com/
Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team http://www.stobartmotorsport.com/
Munchi's Ford World Rally Team http://www.villagraracing.com.ar/

The next and 11th round of the FIA WRC is Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Duarada 1-4 October. For news visit http://www.rallyracc.com/

The 12th and final round of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship is the 65th edition of Rally Great Britain, starting in Cardiff on Thursday 22nd October.