M-Sport's Ott Tänak hailed a "really good weekend" as the Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC secured a second successive double podium.

The double podium also helped to strengthen M-Sport's lead at the head of the manufacturers’ standings, where they now hold a 20-point advantage over their closest rivals.

Tänak and Martin Järveoja finished second while, in the sister M-Sport Fiesta WRC, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia came third.

"I think it’s been a really good weekend for us," Estonian Tänak said.

"I had a new experience opening the road on Friday but, when the conditions were more equal, we had some really good speed.

"I’m happy with that and what we have achieved this weekend has given us a lot of confidence."

Having won four stages and delivered an impressive performance over the course of the weekend, Tänak and Järveoja were just 3.8 seconds adrift of the lead going into the final-day showdown.

Ultimately however, the pairing struggled to find the confidence-boosting rhythm they had previously enjoyed and had to settle for second place – reserving an elusive first victory for another day.

"We knew straight away that Jari-Matti [Latvala] would be hard to beat," Tänak added.

"At the beginning of the first stage, we knew that we didn’t have the same feeling as Saturday.

"It was a bit disappointing at the time, knowing that we had no option but to settle for second, but I’m still really happy with my weekend.

“It’s been a great start to the season and I have a really good feeling with the car."

Meanwhile, Ogier and Ingrassia secured a fine third place overall after being hampered by a less than perfect road position throughout much of the event.

Ogier said: "It’s been a tough weekend, so it’s great to be on the podium at the end of the rally."

Team Principal Malcolm Wilson OBE added: "Two rallies and two double podiums – it’s an incredible result for the team and just goes to prove what a great package we have with the Ford Fiesta WRC.

"We’ve extended our lead at the head of the manufacturers’ championship and it has been a fantastic start to the season.

“The momentum in the team is growing with every event.

"We go to every rally knowing that we have the potential to fight for the podium, and that is a real confidence boost."