Loeb secures fourth straight win

Loeb (right) and co-driver Daniel Elena have dominated so far this season

Sebastien Loeb claimed his fourth straight win of the 2009 World Rally Championship season in Portugal.

France's five-time world champion took victory with a 24.3-second margin over Ford's Mikko Hirvonen, with Loeb's Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo in third.

Loeb, with 40 points, now leads the standings by 10 from Finn Hirvonen. Third-placed Sordo has 23 points.

"It's incredible. Apart from a mistake on Friday's first stage it's been almost a perfect rally," Loeb said.

He added that after that mistake he "pushed to the limit all the time" and had a problem-free Saturday and Sunday.

Hirvonen said he was happy with his eight points but earlier had sensed a chance of overhauling Loeb.

"I started the day thinking a win was possible, but the dust hung in the air and I realised after the opening stage that in those conditions I had no chance of catching Sebastien," he said.

Spaniard Sordo earned his second podium of the season after being runner-up in Ireland.

"I'm really happy with the way the weekend has gone. My feeling with the car and pace notes was good," he said.

"We made a couple of small mistakes but I'm feeling confident ahead of the next round in Argentina."