* Frenchman wins by 11.2 seconds
* Hirvonen second despite overshooting junction
CAGLIARI, Italy, May 8 (Reuters) - Frenchman Sebastien Loeb wrapped up yet another win in the rally of Italy on Sunday to stretch his overall lead but it was another bad day for Mini on their return to the world championship.
Citroen's seven-times world champion Loeb finished 11.2 seconds ahead of second-placed Mikko Hirvonen to collect his 64th world championship victory.
Hirvonen started well on the third and final day of racing before a mistake on stage 16 cost the Finn dear.
"It was an overshoot on a junction and maybe I lost two or three seconds," Ford's Hirvonen told www.wrc.com.
The victory was Loeb's fourth on the gravel roads of Sardinia, which was left off the championship rota last year.
"Leading from nearly the start, that's really a good job," Loeb said. "Mikko was pushing very hard behind so we really had to take big risks all the time."
Sebastien Ogier's assault on the podium ended when the Frenchman hit a rock and broke his Citroen's rear suspension. Norway's Petter Solberg took third place.
Jari-Matti Latvala, who stormed back on Saturday, won two more stages on Sunday but still ended up in 18th because of a crash on Friday.
Mini's return to the sport suffered more disappointment when Kris Meeke failed to start the day after he had retired on the previous two days with a sticking throttle the main problem.
"It's disappointing but we don't want to risk what happened on Friday happening again. There's a bigger picture," the 31-year-old Meeke said.
Team mate Dani Sordo of Spain offered some cheer for Mini, who lit up the sport in the 1960s, by finishing sixth overall.
Mini are appearing in selected rallies this year before a full return in 2012.
The next race is the rally of Argentina on May 26-29, the sixth round of the 13-event season.
* Hirvonen second despite overshooting junction
CAGLIARI, Italy, May 8 (Reuters) - Frenchman Sebastien Loeb wrapped up yet another win in the rally of Italy on Sunday to stretch his overall lead but it was another bad day for Mini on their return to the world championship.
Citroen's seven-times world champion Loeb finished 11.2 seconds ahead of second-placed Mikko Hirvonen to collect his 64th world championship victory.
Hirvonen started well on the third and final day of racing before a mistake on stage 16 cost the Finn dear.
"It was an overshoot on a junction and maybe I lost two or three seconds," Ford's Hirvonen told www.wrc.com.
The victory was Loeb's fourth on the gravel roads of Sardinia, which was left off the championship rota last year.
"Leading from nearly the start, that's really a good job," Loeb said. "Mikko was pushing very hard behind so we really had to take big risks all the time."
Sebastien Ogier's assault on the podium ended when the Frenchman hit a rock and broke his Citroen's rear suspension. Norway's Petter Solberg took third place.
Jari-Matti Latvala, who stormed back on Saturday, won two more stages on Sunday but still ended up in 18th because of a crash on Friday.
Mini's return to the sport suffered more disappointment when Kris Meeke failed to start the day after he had retired on the previous two days with a sticking throttle the main problem.
"It's disappointing but we don't want to risk what happened on Friday happening again. There's a bigger picture," the 31-year-old Meeke said.
Team mate Dani Sordo of Spain offered some cheer for Mini, who lit up the sport in the 1960s, by finishing sixth overall.
Mini are appearing in selected rallies this year before a full return in 2012.
The next race is the rally of Argentina on May 26-29, the sixth round of the 13-event season.
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