Jari-Matti Latvala best negotiated the poor conditions

The Ford driver has a 49.8sec lead over compatriot and team-mate Mikko Hirvonen while another Ford driver, Gigi Galli, is 1min 36sec off the pace in third.

Latvala, 22, won six of seven stages on Friday, but was winless on the penultimate day of the event.

Conditions were tricky throughout as ice melted to reveal the gravel roads, forcing one stage to be cancelled.

If Latvala can hold the lead over the remaining 97km he will become the youngest driver ever to win a WRC rally.

The Finn, who finished out of the points in the season opener in Monte Carlo last month, had a total time of two hours, three minutes, 53.7 seconds after 14 stages.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Latvala's win

He said: "It was difficult being first on the road through the opening stage because there was a lot of slush for the first three kilometres and we did a lot of moving from snow bank to snow bank.

"Then it changed to gravel and, while the grip was great, the gravel wasn't good for the tyre studs. On the last stage, I hit a stone with the front right wheel about 1.5km from the start and was lucky not to puncture."

Defending four-time world champion Sebastien Loeb, who withdrew from the rally on Friday after a crash, restarted on Saturday.