Rallying-Ogier wins fourth successive world title

(Adds standings, detail) BARCELONA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Rally world champion Sebastien Ogier clinched his fourth successive championship for Volkswagen on Sunday after winning in Spain. Ogier's title was the 13th in a row by a French driver called Sebastien, with compatriot Sebastien Loeb winning a record nine consecutively before him with Citroen between 2004 and 2012. The Volkswagen driver had needed 16 points to be sure of the title -- effectively third place and one of three bonus points available -- but in the end his comfortable victory in the Rally of Catalunya made all such calculations unnecessary. Ogier finished the final stage 15.6 seconds clear of Dani Sordo and also won two points in the power stage, with the Spaniard's Belgian Hyundai team mate Thierry Neuville third and a further minute behind. The victory, on the championship's only mixed surface rally with gravel and asphalt stages, was the 37th of Ogier's career and fifth of the season. "It's been a tough season but it's fantastic," said the Frenchman, who had led by 5.8 seconds on Sunday morning after retaking the lead on Saturday. "To be champion two rallies before the end again is great. I cannot do much more." Ogier now has 222 points in the championship with Norwegian team mate Andreas Mikkelsen, who clipped a barrier and rolled his Volkswagen Polo while running third in Spain on Saturday, and Neuville now level on 127. The 32-year-old Frenchman equalled the achievements of Finland's Tommi Makinen, who also won four titles in a row between 1996 and 1999, and Juha Kankkunen as quadruple champions. Only Loeb has won more. The next round is in Britain on Oct. 27-30, with the final rally in Australia in November. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)