Volks😼wagen's Jari-Matti Latvala was disappointed to finish second on Rally d🌄e Espana on Sunday, although he also admitted he was lucky to get to the finish.

The Finn went into the final day in the lead, but with the event switching from asphalt to 🌌gravel stages, he was left at a disadvantage, and running first on the road had to sweep the linꦺe.

Despite that he remained𝔉🍷 in front until the penultimate stage, when technical problems - including a fire in the engine bay of his Polo R WRC - conspired against him and meant he had no chance of trying to hold off his fast-charging team-mate and eventual winner, Sebastien Ogier.

"I have to be honest I was disappointed [not 🤡to win]," said Latvala. "When you fight for the victor🃏y and you get technical problems it is frustrating.

"It was a difficult position being first car on the road [on Sunday]. I was gaining a little bit this morning not havi𝓰ng the dust problems like the cars behind but it was difficult running first on the road with all the gravel. The cleaning effect was bigger than I expected. Also in the afternoon I knew it was not easy. There was꧃ a bit of a cleaner line but it was still very narrow from the cars running behind. The grip level was better but was changing a lot.

"Then at the end of the short stage [SS13] the transmission gave a strange feeling and then in the second last stage it broke completely the front diff. On top of that we got a fire [at the end of SS14]. There was a fuel pipe leaking and we were lucky to come back here. It was a close call to fini🀅sh the rally but the marshal taking the fire down at the end of the stage saved us.

"Still it was a really hard job for me on the last stage [SS15] 💦because I had a really nasty moment when I nearly went off the road because of the transmission problem. I was really tired at the end of that stage and it was a big effort to get back to serv✅ice."

Asked if he could have won but f🍸or those problems, Lat🐷vala conceded it would have been tough.

"It would have been very difficult to take the win [even without the problems at♒ the end]," he confirmed. "I knew I couldn't risk absolutely everything for the rally. But still I love the fighting. That's the way it is. At least the team is manufacturers' champion and that is very important."

So how does it make him feel kno🀅wing he helped VW claims its first🍰 WRC Manufacturers' title?

"It feel𒁃s good. I have been running 🐓in the WRC now for 10 years - 10 years - and now I am [part of] winning the manufacturers' championship for the first time. There is still some work to do being a driver but now it's a very good feeling for the whole team," he concluded.