Latvala's start to the 2016 season was a nightmare, the Finn having broken his suspension in Monaco before suffering mechanical issues in Sweden.

However, his perilous position in the standings proved beneficial for Mexico, with the starting order being determined by the points classification.

While teammate and points leader Sebastien Ogier was forced to start the stages first on the road, Latvala enjoyed a much cleaner route in ninth - and collected 11 stage wins on his way to victory.

"It's been a very difficult start for me, I arrived to Mexico with no points," Latvala told Motorsport.com. "I think [Mexico] has been one of the cleanest rallies I've ever done in my career.

"I felt very comfortable. It's special because I've never won here before.

"Getting this result is a big positive positive because it brings me back into the fight. I think this can be a new beginning."

Latvala's victory put him sixth in the standings - a position that is set to give him a running order advantage in the upcoming Rally Argentina as well.

Ogier got "maximum" points possible

While Latvala is only 15 points behind second-placed Mads Ostberg, he is a full 50 down on Ogier, as the Frenchman minimised his Rally Mexico losses with a Power Stage win.

And the championship leader suggests that the 21 points he got out of Mexico was as good as a result as he could have hoped for.

"I think we did everything we could and got the maximum number of possible points this weekend," Ogier told Motorsport.com.

"From the beginning we knew what we could do and against whom we could fight, so I can be happy for what we got.

"We will do as much as we can in Argentina, but it will not be easy, because we have to lead the way again."

Interviews by Luis Ramirez