Ben McKay happy as he toughs it out in Wales Rally GB

The 22-year-old was the only finisher in the R1 class of the international event.

He and his co-driver, dad Jason, finished 51st in the overall standings of an event which features the best drivers in the business.

It marked a drastic improvement on their performance 12 months ago, when they crashed out.

"After what happened last year it was quite important we got to the end of this one," said McKay.

McKay admitted he was simply happy to finish. McKay and his dad were the only entrants in the R1 category but McKay was delighted at an improved showing on his debut appearance last year, when he crashed out.

"We went off the road 20 feet down an embankment," he said. "After that, it was quite important we got to the end of this one.

"The rally as a whole went really well but it was very rough out there. It was almost unbelievable in places – the more powerful cars go out there and really tear up the road surface making it tough for everyone behind."

McKay described the overall experience of racing on the same roads as the world's best as "brilliant" but admitted it can be tough to stay committed when competing against machines far more powerful than his Fiesta.

"Sometimes it prays on the mind," he said. "Sometimes you just wish the car would go faster.

"But in many ways this was a test of ourselves and now we have to decide where we go for next year.

"The rally itself was brilliant with the sheer number of spectators on each stage. Even on the road stages there were loads of people out in the streets waving for us."

World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Ogier recorded his eighth victory of the year in the overall event.

The Frenchman had taken control of the three-day event from the start, as the Volkswagen Polo R driver secured first place with a margin of 37.6 seconds ahead of Mikko Hirvonen, who was competing in his final rally before retirement.

Kris Meeke of Northern Ireland had looked set for a challenge, but skidded into a ditch on Sunday morning, which resulted in damaged tyres to his Citroen DS3 and he slipped down to sixth place.

There was cheer for British competitors in the support categories, with Matthew Wilson just pipping young Welshman Tom Cave to third in WRC 2 behind class winner Jari Ketomaa, as sixth place for Nasser Al-Attiyah was sufficient to secure the Qatari the championship laurels.

Osian Pryce came home as the leading non-Priority driver in 18th overall, with Alastair Fisher a comfortable winner in WRC 3 – a result that guaranteed the Northern Irishman the runner-up spoils in the final Junior World Rally Championship standings.

Cricketing legend Graeme Swann made it to the finish on his rallying debut, being classified a creditable 45th in the National contest.

Meanwhile, Peta Todd, former glamour model and wife of world champion cyclist Mark Cavendish, overcame an extremely difficult weekend to join an elite group of drivers and co-drivers that have completed the race

What Peta has achieved clearly impressed Cavendish, a man who knows better than most how much commitment is required to succeed in world class sporting events:

"I'm so proud of Peta this weekend. She's come so far since her first co-driving experience just a few weeks ago, and what she's overcome just to start Wales Rally GB. Her determination to finish is a stubbornness I know all too well!"

Todd, along with her team-mate, Sky Sports News F1 analyst Tony Jardine, have had to endure numerous problems and setbacks across all three days of the rally.

A serious high speed crash on Friday's sixth stage, where Jardine lost control and collided with a large log pile, was the first in a series of problems that included a punctured tyre, multiple cars losing their way between stages and a faulty wheel bearing, all of which led to significant time penalties for the team.

But they put in some quick times which pulled them up through the rankings from 53rd overall to a very respectable 47th overall.