Sebastien Ogier has won Rally Mexico for a sixth time, with the world championship event cut short due to changing travel restrictions resulting from the global coronavirus outbreak.

The decision to end the rally after Saturday’s second leg, enough distance to allow full championship points to be awarded, was to ensure teams and officials could travel home to Europe from Mexico.

The United States is imposing new restrictions on entry from midnight on Monday and battered US airlines are planning more flight cuts. Some European countries have also gone into lockdown.

“A victory is a victory of course, but this one feels different from any other,” six-time world champion Ogier said. He leads the championship from Toyota teammate Elyn Evans by eight points.

“It’s hard to celebrate in these circumstances.”

Reigning world champion Ott Tanak finished second for Hyundai, fighting back from a Friday setback to end 27.8 seconds behind Ogier, with M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen third and previous championship leader Evans fourth.

Ogier had led the Leon-based gravel event in the state of Guanajuato since Friday morning and finished with four stage wins.

The victory was the Frenchman’s first since he joined Toyota from Citroen at the end of last season and sixth in eight years in Mexico. Ogier has also won in Mexico with four different manufacturers and racked up 48 career wins.

With the cancellation of Sunday’s final leg, the usual bonus points available from the closing ‘Power Stage’ were not awarded.

Toyota are 21 points clear of Hyundai at the top of the manufacturers’ standings.

Portugal, from May 21-24, is the next scheduled round of the championship but that might change. Argentina, which normally follows on from Mexico, has already been postponed.