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Propecia Rally New Zealand
Official Site: http://www.rallynz.org.nz
Round 10 of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship
20-23rd September 2001
Official FIA Press Release
www.fia.com
Sunday 23rd September
Propecia Rally New Zealand: Burns Wins!
Richard Burns has scored his first victory of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship on the tenth round of the series, the Rally New Zealand. The Subaru driver and navigator Robert Reid sprayed the champagne at the finish on the outskirts of Auckland after a tense final leg, held on sweeping fast stages to the south of the city. Burns came under pressure from Colin McRae this morning, but he staved off the Ford driver's advances and when the Scot spun on the penultimate stage, it increased Burns's winning margin to nearly 45 seconds.
McRae's spin almost cost the 1995 world champion second as well as his hopes of a win, but he did just enough to hold off Harri Rovanperä's Peugeot and move level with Tommi Mäkinen in the drivers' championship. Carlos Sainz claimed fourth after a last-stage spin, although reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm would have finished ahead of the Spaniard and Rovanperä had he not jumped the start on the same test.
Subaru
Technical: The Impreza WRC2001s of Richard Burns, Petter Solberg and Toshihiro Arai have been reliable today.
Sporting: Richard Burns admitted that he hadn't expected Colin McRae to take such a chunk out of his overnight lead on today's opening stage but after the second, longer test, the Englishman steadied the ship to stave off the Scot and score his first victory of the year. Petter Solberg, meanwhile, took time out of four-times world champion Tommi Mäkinen on all of today's stages and finally overhauled the Mitsubishi driver on the last test to finish seventh and score another manufacturers' point for Subaru. The pair's efforts were enough to lift the Japanese manufacturer to third in the makes' series. Toshihiro Arai started today's stages under no threat from any rivals and he duly finished 14th.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: ãColin took a bit more time than I'd expected on that first stage today but apart from that, I was reasonably confident. I think it showed, though, that to decide to stick with running first on the road with any less of an advantage would have been foolhardy. I'm delighted, of course. I always knew a win would come sometime this year but it's still nice to get it! The result certainly opens up the championship for us - we're now only nine points off the lead and as we've seen here, rallies can be won and lost by very small things.
Petter Solberg said: ãToday's been great. I'm still learning more about the car and I don't have complete confidence or a perfect feeling with it in the narrow bits of road, but we had a chance to go after Tommi and we did. Not many people can say they've hunted down Tommi Mäkinen over a day, but we managed it! There were a few interesting moments because we were pushing right at the maximum, but I'm glad we did. It's also good to get another manufacturers' point for Subaru - that gave me extra motivation.
Ford
Technical: The three Focus RS WRC01s of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz and Francois Delecour have been reliable today.
Sporting: Colin McRae charged on this morning's first couple of stages, slashing Richard Burns's overnight lead from 42 seconds to just 22 in only 35 kilometres. But the final six stages weren't expected to punish the first car on the road to the same extent and sure enough, McRae found it harder to cut into the deficit. By the penultimate test he'd already elected to settle for second but he then spun and stalled, kick-starting a last-stage charge to safeguard the runners-up spot. He managed that and now sits alongside Tommi Mäkinen at the head of the drivers' standings. Carlos Sainz moved ahead of Harri Rovanperä on the day's longest stage, but the Spaniard struggled badly with punctures this afternoon and then in the final test - less than a kilometre before the finish - he spun. As a result, he dropped behind Rovanperä and Marcus Grönholm, although he was promoted back up to fourth when Grönholm's jump-start penalty was applied. The third Focus WRC of François Delecour was pushing towards a top ten placing before the Frenchman spun and stalled in SS18. His time loss was then compounded when the car refused to re-start for around half a minute.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: ãRichard's won the rally but he was hardly put under much pressure today. It hasn't been a fair fight. On the penultimate stage I'd already decided that it wasn't going to be possible to win but I got caught out on the loose gravel and had a half-spin. The problem was the car then stalled, and second place was looking a bit shaky for a while. It was a quiet car on the way back to final service as we waited to hear the other times! In terms of the championship it's another good step forward for us - now we just have to get the right car and tyre package for the next two asphalt rallies.
Carlos Sainz said: ãThe spin was about three corners before the end of the last stage, so it's quite frustrating. I just went into the corner too quickly and the car got onto the loose gravel on the outside and spun. I had to select first gear and turn around - it must have cost between 10 and 12 seconds.
Peugeot
Technical: The three 206 WRCs, driven by Marcus Grönholm, Harri Rovanperä and Didier Auriol have all been reliable today.
Sporting: Harri Rovanperä started today's stages in third but he struggled on the morning's tests, dropping behind Carlos Sainz and coming under increasing pressure from team-mate Marcus Grönholm. However, he moved back ahead of Sainz when the Spaniard spun in the last stage and when Grönholm was penalised for a jump start, Rovanperä was promoted into third overall. Marcus Grönholm set a number of fastest times as he closed down on Sainz and Rovanperä - he passed his team-mate in the penultimate test, then cleared Sainz in the final stage, but he'd jumped the start in the latter and the resulting 10s penalty dropped him to fifth. The third 206 WRC of Didier Auriol enjoyed a troublefree day, as he comfortably fended off the scrapping Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg to claim the last drivers' point, and two for Peugeot in the manufacturers' series.
Quotes: Harri Rovanperä said: ãThe result is okay with me. We made some mistakes earlier in the rally and it was always going to be hard to fight back from that. Today was hard for me because although I've done New Zealand before, I haven't seen today's stages before. Next year will definitely be easier for me!
Marcus Grönholm said: ãThis has been a strange rally. The car has been fantastic - fast and reliable - and the tyres have worked well too. Without the mistakes on the first day we could have been fighting for the win, I'm sure of that. But we made them and sometimes that happens, so we ended up fighting for points, not the victory. I knew instantly on the last stage that I had jumped the start but I kept trying anyway.
Mitsubishi
Technical: The Lancer Evolutions of Tommi Mäkinen, Toni Gardemeister and Freddy Loix have enjoyed troublefree action today, although the young Belgian continued to be less than happy with his car's handling.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen might have started today's stages with faint hopes of a point but instead, his task turned into a battle to keep a charging Petter Solberg at bay to secure the final manufacturers' point for Mitsubishi. A slow puncture for most of the day's longest stage didn't help and in the end, even the four-times world champion was unable to hold off the young Norwegian. Mäkinen eventually finished eighth, missing out on any points for either himself or Mitsubishi on the last outing for the current Lancer Evolution. Freddy Loix felt he was lacking confidence in his Mitsubishi's handling, but the Belgian brought his car home in 11th. Toni Gardemeister's rally had been ruined by his gearbox problems on the opening day but the young Finn concentrated on building experience of the car and New Zealand stages anyway. He finished 15th.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: ãThis has been a very frustrating event for us - basically we never stood a chance to fight for victory because we were running first on the road on the opening day. Colin's now got the same number of points as me in the championship, but it could have been worse - he might have won! The new Lancer Evolution World Rally Car makes its debut on the next round, Sanremo, and I'm looking forward to it. The car has felt very encouraging in testing.
Freddy Loix said: ãWe really couldn't do much about our position today. I've had a strange feeling with the car on this rally - it started with a centre differential problem yesterday - and it's never really changed. Even though the handling was better today there were still some moments where I wasn't comfortable. All we can do is look forward to Sanremo and the new car, which has been good so far.
Hyundai
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae have been reliable today.
Sporting: Alister McRae knew he had little chance of catching Petter Solberg or Tommi Mäkinen today, but the Scot persevered anyway. The dry conditions didn't favour his Accent, though, since they compounded tyre wear problems that had troubled him from the start. He eventually finished ninth, more than a minute behind Mäkinen. Kenneth Eriksson - back on cleaner roads after his decision to lead the field yesterday - posted more respectable times today. The Swedish veteran pronounced himself happy with the Accent's handling as he bagged 10th overall.
Quotes: Alister McRae said: ãIt's been a tricky event. Obviously we benefited from the first day when the roads were being swept clean but ideally, we then needed it to rain so we could have stayed out in front. As it's turned out, the tyre wear's been pretty bad in places and that's compromised some of our set-ups. At least the car has been completely reliable, which gives me confidence that we can gain more knowledge of the Accent on asphalt in Sanremo next month.
Kenneth Eriksson said: äThe handling and performance of the car have been really good today, and I still don't regret staying in the lead at the end of the first day. It was good for Hyundai and I to be at the head of the field. I'm missing Sanremo and Corsica but I know when I come back in Australia that the package is good enough for a decent result.
Other teams
Local Subaru Impreza WRC driver Possum Bourne finished 13th, not helped by the first event in living memory where not a single manufacturer entry retired. In the Group N category for more standard cars, Austrian Manfred Stohl claimed a comfortable victory ahead of Argentine driver Gabriel Pozzo. With Gustavo Trelles and Marcos Ligato non-scoring, Pozzo now holds a sizeable advantage in the FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars and he could clinch the title in Sanremo next month.
UNOFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 3:47:28.0
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 3:48:12.6
3 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 3:48:18.1
4 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 3:48:20.2
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:48:20.2
6 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 3:48:39.3
7 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 3:49:43.8
8 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 3:49:49.0
9 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 3:51:01.8
10 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 3:51:49.9
GROUP N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:58:33.1
2 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:01:24.5
3 Nutahara Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:03:22.2
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 10 of 14 rounds)
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
Mäkinen (FIN) 40
McRae (GB) 40
Burns (GB) 31
Sainz (E) 30
Rovanperä (FIN) 27
Grönholm (FIN) 16
Delecour (F) 14
Auriol (F) 11
Solberg (N) 9
Loix (B) 9
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers:
Ford 76
Mitsubishi 66
Subaru 46
Peugeot 44
Skoda 15
Hyundai 10
FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars:
Pozzo (RA) 59
Trelles (ROU) 26
Ligato (RA) 22
Stohl (A) 22
Blomqvist (S) 11
FIA Teams Cup (after 4 of 6 rounds, this event not counting):
Hagstrom (FIN) 20
Lundgaard (DK) 20
Bakhashab (SA) 13
Papadimitriou (GR) 8
Barratt (GB) 7
FIA Super 1600 Cup (after 3 of 6 rounds, this event not counting):
Loeb (F) 30
Dallavilla (I) 14
Stenshorne (N) 7
Basso (I) 6
Fontana (I) 6
STAGE WINNERS
SS17 - Gronholm, SS18 - Sainz, SS19 - Gronholm, SS20 - Solberg, SS21 - Gronholm, SS22 - Solberg, SS23 - Solberg, SS24 - Solberg
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS16 Crocker Subaru Impreza WRX Accident
SS5 Ligato Mitsubishi Lanver Evo Accident
SS4 Wearden Peugeot 206 WRC Fuel Pressure
SS 17, Otorohea Trig 5.50km 1st Car: 08:38
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:06,0
2 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 3:07,0
3 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 3:07,1
4 Gardemeister Mitsubishi Lancer 3:07,9
5 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 3:08,4
SS 18, Te Akau South 31.24km 1st Car: 09:06
1 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 18:45,0
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 18:45,1
3 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 18:48,5
4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 18:50,8
5 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 18:51,1
SS 19, Ridge 1 8.53km 1st Car: 11:14
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 4:47,1
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 4:48,0
3 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 4:48,7
4 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 4:49,0
5 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 4:49,8
SS 20, Campbell 1 7.44km 1st Car: 11:27
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 3:55.7
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 3:57.4
3 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 3:58.3
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:58.7
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC
SS 21, Ridge 2 8.53km 1st Car: 11:45
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 4:41.4
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 4:43.4
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 4:43.7
4 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 4:43.7
5 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 4:43.9
SS 22, Campbell 2 7.44km 1st Car: 11:58
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 3:50,9
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 3:51,5
3 Delecour Ford focus RS WRC 3:52,0
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:52,1
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 3:52,3
SS 23, Fyfe 1 10.60km 1st Car: 12:41
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 5:42.6
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 5:43.0
3 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 5:45.3
4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 5:45.7
5 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 5:45.8
5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 5:45.8
SS 24, Fyfe 2 10.60km 1st Car: 12:54
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 5:32.6
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 5:34.3
3 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 5:36.7
4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 5:38.3
5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 5:39.3
Saturday, 22 September 2001
Subaru driver Richard Burns has charged to the front of the field on the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Rally New Zealand, which continued today. After playing tactical games yesterday the Englishman used roads swept clear of loose gravel by the earlier crews to set a string of fastest times. Indeed, it took only one stage - the day's 55km opener - for him to move from ninth to first overall.
Burns's nearest challenger is fellow Briton Colin McRae, as the Scot coped well with a relatively high starting position to stave off other challengers and hold second. His team-mate Carlos Sainz is also in contention, along with Peugeot driver Harri Rovanperä. The pair battled for third overall for much of the day before Rovanperä made the place his own in the later stages. But last night's surprise leader Kenneth Eriksson wasn't so lucky - the Hyundai driver quickly dropped out of the points placings as he struggled for grip in the deep gravel.
Subaru
Technical: The Impreza WRC2001s of Richard Burns and Toshihiro Arai have been reliable today. But team-mate Petter Solberg suffered gearbox problems in the last two stages of the day.
Sporting: Richard Burns took only one stage to move from ninth to first position this morning, and thereafter the Englishman tried to put enough time between himself and Colin McRae to allow him to hold the overnight lead this evening. He reckoned he'd need 30 seconds to achieve that and he managed more than 40, so the Briton elected not to play with tactics. Team-mate Petter Solberg found it harder to predict grip levels today and the young Norwegian dropped back as a result. He ended the day in eighth. Toshihiro Arai, meanwhile, struggled to keep his Impreza in the 'cleaner' line and admitted to several sideways moments as he hit the loose gravel on the outside of corners. He arrived back in Auckland this evening in 13th.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: "I've been getting happier with the car all day and more comfortable with my driving. We're really too far away from anyone to charge tomorrow so I'll just try to improve my driving.
Richard Burns said: "I'm quite confident about tomorrow. We've been pushing hard on every single stage today and it's paid off. Tomorrow's stages aren't quite as hard on the first car on the road, so the main aim will be to get through the long first stage without problems or any mistakes. If we can do that, then I think our lead should be enough.
Toshihiro Arai said: "It's been quite confusing today, because sometimes the lines left by the leading crews give me good grip and sometimes they don't. It's also easy to slide out of the clean lines and then you end up going very sideways!
Peugeot
Technical: The three 206 WRCs, driven by Marcus Grönholm, Harri Rovanperä and Didier Auriol have all been reliable today.
Sporting: Harri Rovanperä knew he'd have to charge after Peugeot's timing mistakes cost him dearly yesterday afternoon, and the Swedish Rally winner set top-three times on virtually every stage as he moved from 12th to third. Reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm was hit by his high starting position and the Finn dropped to fifth today. It would have been sixth, had team-mate Didier Auriol (who also recovered from outside the top ten) not backed off in the final 300m of the day's last test to ensure that he'll start tomorrow's final leg in sixth.
Quotes: Marcus Gronholm said: "We really couldn't have done any more today. We pushed hard and the car has been fantastic, but you can't elp but lose time when the guys behind - Richard, Harri and Didier in particular - have a big grip advantage over you. I suppose we held our position pretty well and there's still a long way to go, but we're fighting for points when the car feels good enough to fight for a win.
Harri Rovanpera said: "It's been a good day, although I couldn't match Richard Burns's times. On the middle stage of the last loop I went a little bit wide and lost some confidence, which cost me a few seconds, but we've still made good progress. Tomorrow will be difficult - I think winning is not possible so instead the big job will be to keep Marcus, Carlos and Didier behind us.
Didier Auriol said: "My only real problem today was on the long first stage. I thought that tyre wear might be a problem so I took it gently but it was the wrong decision. In the end, my tyres looked like they could do another hundred kilometres! I just have to keep pushing and see what result we get tomorrow. I backed off on the last stage because it only cost me four seconds or so, but it means I have one more car in front of me cleaning the roads.
Ford
Technical: The three Focus RS WRC01s of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz and François Delecour have been reliable today.
Sporting: Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz have continued to adopt the same policy today as they did on yesterday's tests - pushing as hard as possible and trying to limit the time loss caused by running high up the field. The Scot has coped slightly more effectively than \his team-mate, as he jumped from fourth to second on the day's opening test and stayed there for the rest of the leg. He'll start tomorrow more than 40 seconds behind Richard Burns, however. Sainz came under pressure from Harri Rovanperä by mid-morning and the Spaniard was unable to stop himself slipping to fourth by the end of the day. The third Focus driver, François Delecour, started today's opening stage hoping to capitalise on cleaned roads but he rolled, losing more than two minutes. He set fast times as he recovered, though, and he drove back to Auckland this evening in 12th.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "We've been able to hold our own pretty well but Richard's been taking a lot of time out of us. To be honest, tomorrow's more about keeping clear of Harri and Carlos instead of chasing after Richard. We'll keep trying, of course, but unless he has a problem I don't think we'll have a chance to catch him
Carlos Sainz said: "It has been as difficult today as I expected. The car has been working very well but we've still been losing time. I'm not sure how much we can hope to recover tomorrow either.
François Delecour said: "The roll was my mistake. I was trying to take it easily at the start of the long stage because I wanted to preserve my tyres, but I went too gently and lost concentration. The car rolled over and we needed some spectators to help us back onto the road. Then the windscreen was smashed completely, so we had to kick it out to see where we were going. It wasn't easy, because we had 40km of the stage left! I'm disappointed, of course, because I've gone well here in the past and I was hopeful of a charge towards the points today
Mitsubishi
Technical: The Lancer Evolutions of Tommi Mäkinen and Toni Gardemeister have enjoyed troublefree action today. Freddy Loix's car suffered from a brake vibration during this afternoon's tests, however, and he also complained of centre differential problems.
Sporting: Freddy Loix started today as top Mitsubishi but within three stages he'd been overhauled by team-mate Tommi Mäkinen. Loix was again unhappy with his car's balance in some corners, and he had a couple of spins before he eventually arrived over a crest on the wrong line and crashed into a ditch. He lost little time but damaged the right-hand side of the car. Mäkinen, meanwhile, found it difficult to make up much time on the leaders but he still moved into the top ten and towards a points placing. A wrong tyre choice on the last loop of stages didn't help his cause, though. The third Mitsubishi of Toni Gardemeister enjoyed a troublefree day after his gearbox problems yesterday - the young Finn concentrated on building experience of the car, but he still lies outside of the top ten.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: "It's been harder to make up time today than I expected it to be. Perhaps this shows us that yesterday, our problem wasn't just our position on the road - maybe we're not quite competitive here either with the combination of car and tyres. We've been pushing hard but we're always waiting to see what others do with tactics. We'll just have to push again tomorrow and see if we get points.
Freddy Loix said: "It's been hard to have confidence in the car today. A lot of the corners here 'open' as you exit them and ideally you should be able to put the car to the outside of the bend. But when I'm doing that I can feel like the inside wheel is lifting off the ground and the car goes very sideways as a result. I had a couple of spins trying it, which doesn't help your confidence. But we've got nothing to lose by continuing to try - tomorrow still has some hard stages.
Hyundai
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae have been reliable today, although the Swede did suffer from a broken windscreen wiper in the final group of tests
Sporting: Kenneth Eriksson expected to struggle for grip by running first on the road and he was proved right - in the day's long, first stage he dropped from the lead to seventh overall. The Swede battled grimly against the conditions for the rest of the day, but he ended the leg in 11th nonetheless. Team-mate Alister McRae was forced to choose hard tyres to compensate for excessive wear and when he experimented with a softer compound on the last three stages, he lost valuable seconds. The Scot ended the leg in ninth, nearly two minutes off a points placing.
Quotes: Kenneth Eriksson said: "We always knew that running first on the road would be a problem but I don't regret it. It was good for Hyundai to lead last night and it's been a while since I was at the front of the field myself! I've been happy with my driving and the car's balance has been fantastic.
Alister McRae said: "It's been a difficult day. We've been struggling a bit with traction because we're having to run a slightly harder tyre than we'd like, in order to keep tyre wear to an acceptable level. As a result, we haven't been able to set the sort of times that would have lifted us further up the leaderboard. But at least the car's been reliable so we haven't lost any ground with mechanical problems.
Other teams
Local World Rally Car Possum Bourne continued to hold a top ten place for much of today, before turbo and brake problems cost him time in the last loop of stages. In the Group N category for more standard cars, meanwhile, reigning category world champion Manfred Stohl set fastest times in the class on all of today's stages to build a dominant advantage.
END OF LEG 2 OUTRIGHT
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 2:56:03,6
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 2:56:46,2
3 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 2:57:08,8
4 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 2:57:31,1
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 2:57:46,1
6 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 2:57:46,6
7 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 2:58:46,4
8 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:59:10,5
9 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 2:59:31,0
10 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 3:00:37,9
GROUP N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:04:10,1
2 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:06:29,4
3 Blomqvist Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:08:50,3
STAGE WINNERS
SS9 - Rovanpera, SS10 - Burns, SS11 - Burns, SS12 - Burns, SS13 - Burns, SS14 - Auriol, SS15 - Burns, SS16 - Burns
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS16 Crocker Subaru Impreza WRX Accident SS5 Ligato Mitsubishi Lanver Evo Accident SS4 Wearden Peugeot 206 WRC Fuel Pressure
SS 9, Parahi / Ararua 59.00km 1st Car: 09:53
1 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 33:59,9
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 34:00,2
3 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 34:20,2
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 34:20,7
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 34:28,1
SS 10, Batley 19.82km 1st Car: 12:51
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 10:55,9
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 10:57,3
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 11:01,1
4 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 11:02,4
5 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 11:03,6
SS 11, Waipu Gorge 11.24km 1st Car: 13:24
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 6:31,2
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 6:31,6
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 6:33,9
4 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 6:34,2
5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 6:34,4
SS 12, Brooks 16.03km 1st Car: 13:42
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 9:44,6
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 9:47,3
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 9:50,7
4 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 9:51,1
5 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 9:52,0
SS 13, Paparoa Station 11.64km 1st Car: 14:10
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 6:17,9
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 6:19,7
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 6:21,4
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 6:21,6
5 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 6:22,5
SS 14, Cassidy 21.64km 1st Car: 15:50
1 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 12:23,9
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 12:25,0
3 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 12:26,5
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 12:27,5
5 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 12:31,7
SS 15, Mititai 26.82km 1st Car: 16:33
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 13:42,3
2 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 13:50,6
3 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 13:52,9
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 13:54,3
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 13:59,0
SS 16, Takatoka 10.15km 1st Car: 17:16
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 5:19,3
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 5:20,2
3 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 5:21,6
4 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 5:21,8
5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 5:24,6
Friday, 21 September 2001
Hyundai driver Kenneth Eriksson has made history by grabbing the lead on the tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Rally New Zealand. The Swedish driver made good use of an advantageous position in the running order to move into the top position on today's final proper stage. It is the first time that the Korean manufacturer has ever led a World championship rally.
Eriksson's decision to keep pushing today was fairly rare. As expected, the early crews had to sweep loose gravel off the flowing New Zealand roads, creating a faster, 'clean' line for the later runners. Accordingly, many of the drivers elected to play tactical games in the afternoon stages, in order to gain their ideal positions in the running order tomorrow. Some backfired, however - reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm lost 40 seconds to his nearest rivals in the day's last test, yet the Finn didn't 'gain' a lower starting position tomorrow after a mathematical error by his Peugeot team.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae have been reliable today. The Scot's only real problem was a broken rear anti-roll bar on the day's first stage.
Sporting: Hyundai's two drivers both tried to grab their share of glory today, since their relatively low starting position meant that they were always going to benefit from roads swept clean by the early crews. Alister McRae fared best initially, and the Scot held down a top three position for much of the day before he dropped to seventh on SS6, the last stage run before tomorrow's starting order was decided. Kenneth Eriksson, meanwhile, set top-three times as he held a points-scoring position for much of today. He eventually grabbed the lead as rivals played with tactics in SS6 - it is the first time that Hyundai has led a world championship event.
Quotes: Kenneth Eriksson said: "I'm very glad for everyone in the whole team. We're making a bit of history here for Hyundai! The car has been really good today and it's given me confidence to push. Of course the cleaner roads help but we'll see what happens tomorrow. I'd like some rain - maybe a typhoon or something - because if the roads are wet then we won't lose out as much to the later crews.
Alister McRae said: "It's been a pretty good day, but not 100 percent. We had that small problem with the anti-roll bar in the first stage, which made the handling very nervous. Then we've struggled with tyre wear on some stages as well. Ideally I'd have liked to have been slightly closer to the guys in front but it's not too bad.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The 206 WRCs of Harri Rovanperä and Marcus Grönholm have been generally reliable, although Grönholm was less than satisfied with his differential's software mapping on today's opening stage. The third 206 of Didier Auriol suffered power steering failure prior to SS6.
Sporting: Marcus Grönholm grabbed the initial advantage this morning, as the world champion used swept-clean roads to move into the lead. He came under some pressure from Petter Solberg in the early afternoon tests, but then the Finn suffered badly from Peugeot confusion in the final stage prior to tomorrow's running order being decided. As a result, he dropped 40 seconds to many of his main rivals but did not move behind either of the Ford drivers in the running order. He'll start tomorrow's stages running second on the road. Didier Auriol and Harri Rovanperä both suffered from similar errors, and they dropped outside the top ten as a result.
Quotes: Marcus Gronholm said: "This is a strange race, and they were strange tactics! Seriously, there was some sort of mistake and I should have lost more time. That would have dropped me behind the Fords. It's not ideal but what can we do? It'll be better for us if it rains but even if it doesn't, we just have to push.
Harri Rovanpera said: "My biggest problem today has been that the guys in front have different driving styles, so there really isn't one good 'clean' line to follow - there are three!
Didier Auriol said: "I knew I was going to lose time in the last stage with the power steering problem but in the end, I lost 30 seconds too much. It's all a bit silly.
Peugeot team manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas said: "The tactics did not work because everything happened too quickly. We could only hope to r drivers just behind the Fords for tomorrow's stages but the times of Sainz and McRae came through very late. As a result, the ideal time that we showed to Marcus was wrong by one minute. It's unfortunate but it's our fault.
FORD
Technical: The three Focus RS WRC01s of Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz and François Delecour have been reliable today, although the latter pair were less than satisfied with their tyre choice for the day's first stage.
Sporting: Colin McRae felt that he had little option but to push as hard as possible today and the Scot acted accordingly, posting occasional top three times as he fought to stay near the head of the field. He eventually ended the day's sixth stage in fourth overall, more than half a minute behind Kenneth Eriksson. McRae and Carlos Sainz were unable to play the same tactical games as the Subaru or Peugeot crews, given that they were running ahead of them on the road today anyway. Sainz improved his pace during the middle loop of stages after raising his car and choosing softer tyres. He will start tomorrow's stages running third on the road. François Delecour, meanwhile, has held a top ten position all day and despite concerns over tyre choice, the Frenchman arrived at this evening's superspecials in Manukau in eighth.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "It's hardly ideal. It would have been better to have been seventh or eighth tomorrow rather than fourth, but we really had no option but to charge, so we did. The same problem about roads cleaning up is going to stay with us all the way through this rally, unless it rains.
Carlos Sainz said: "I've been quite happy with the car settings but in the end, there was nothing I could do to affect the road position and we've ended up looking a bit stupid.
SUBARU
Technical: Richard Burns suffered a slow puncture on this morning's first stage but his Impreza WRC2001 has been reliable otherwise. Petter Solberg's car overheated before the start of SS5 and SS6 after its fans stopped working. The car's electronic systems put the engine into 'safe mode', meaning that the young Norwegian had to complete the two tests without anti-lag. Toshihiro Arai's car has been reliable, although the Japanese driver knocked the wheel alignment out of joint when he slid off on the day's first stage.
Sporting: Petter Solberg has been Marcus Grönholm's nearest challenger on the timesheets for much of today's action. The young Norwegian, who was running ninth on the road, set a pair of fastest times in SS2 and SS3 to keep the world champion in sight. But even though engine problems slowed Solberg in SS5 and SS6, he still felt he'd gone too quickly - his time meant he'll start tomorrow's second leg running fifth on the road. Richard Burns has adopted a steady attitude today, and the Englishman was satisfied to hold ninth after SS6, less than a minute behind leader Kenneth Eriksson. Toshihiro Arai's cause wasn't helped when he slid into a ditch and up a bank on the first stage, but the Japanese driver has posted respectable times thereafter to keep a top ten position in sight.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: "Today's been like a kind of test session for many of the stages. In the last stage I knew I was losing time because of the engine, so I really tried hard and my time was actually a bit too good - I'd have preferred to have been a place or two lower. But we will keep trying.
Richard Burns said: "It's been a pretty good day for us. There's no point taking risks but we've ended up in the lower regions of the top ten, without actually being too far off the lead. We just need it to stay dry tomorrow - if it rains, the roads won't clean up as much and it'll be harder to make up time.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen's Lancer Evolution has been reliable today. His team-mates weren't so lucky, though - Freddy Loix complained of poor handling as he tried to tweak his car's suspension to improve grip, and Toni Gardemeister was lucky to stay in the event at all after gearbox problems. The young Finn hit a rock, breaking the gearbox casing and losing all of its oil. He and navigator Paavo Lukander had to push their car to second service.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen always knew that running first on the road today would be a struggle, but the four-times world champion could only watch as he ceded chunks of time to his rivals. He fought gamely during the afternoon but couldn't get his Lancer near the top ten - he'll start tomorrow's tests running 14th. Freddy Loix was dissatisfied with his car's handling for much of today but the Belgian still held a top six position as he started this evening's superspecials in Manukau. Toni Gardemeister's mechanical problems left him outside of the top 20, however.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "I've found it very difficult today. With no lines from previous cars in the road it's very hard to judge the corners and I've lost a lot of time under braking. I don't know about tomorrow - we'll just try to do our best and see what happens, but it doesn't seem very fair to me.
Toni Gardemeister said: "We hit a rock and then we started to lose gears. We got quite close to service but then we lost all of the gears so Paavo and I had to push the car for nearly a kilometre. I'm very disappointed because I want to gain good experience of the Lancer and maybe do some good times.
Other teams
Local Subaru driver Possum Bourne overcame brake problems this morning to hold a top ten placing in his Impreza WRC. The other privateer World Rally Car driver, Neil Wearden, had inched into the top ten before fuel pressure problems forced him to retire in SS4.
In the Group N category for more standard cars, Cody Crocker holds a 21-second cushion over class world champion Manfred Stohl. Argentine driver Gabriel Pozzo lost time with a puncture but he still holds third
END OF DAY 1
The final two stages (the Manukau Super Special stage), form part of Leg 2. This is so drivers did not slow down and drive tactically for a better road position in front of spectators. Results reported are at the end of the first day - including Leg 1 stages and the Super Special stages.
OUTRIGHT
1 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 1:16:19,5
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:16:36,0
3 Sainz Ford Focus RS WRC 1:16:40,0
4 McRae Ford Focus RS WRC 1:16:49,9
5 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 1:17:04,1
6 Delecour Ford Focus RS WRC 1:17:06,9
7 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 1:17:07,2
7 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 1:17:07,2
9 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:17:09,1
10 Bourne Subaru Impreza WRC 1:17:12,4
GROUP N
1 Crocker Subaru Impreza 1:19:10,3
2 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:19:28,3
3 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:19:37,8
STAGE WINNERS
SS1 - Gronholm, SS2 - Solberg, SS3 - Solberg, SS4 - Gronholm, SS5 - Auriol, SS6 - McRae, SS7 - Sainz, SS8 - Sainz
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS4 Wearden Peugeot 206 WRC Fuel Pressure
SS5 Ligato Mitsubishi Lanver Evo Accident
SS 1, Te Akau North 32.37km 1st Car: 08:33
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 18:04,6
2 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 18:07,4
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 18:07,8
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 18:09,0
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 18:11,3
SS 2, Maungatawhiri 6.52km 1st Car: 10:41
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 3:39,8
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:40,0
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 3:41,4
4 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 3:41,6
5 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 3:41,8
SS 3, Te Papatapu 1 16.75km 1st Car: 11:04
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 11:00,2
2 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 11:02,2
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 11:02,9
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 11:03,1
5 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 11:03,9
5 Wearden Peugeot 206 WRC 11:03,9
SS 4, Te Hutewai 11.32km 1st Car: 11:37
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 8:03,7
2 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 8:07,0
3 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 8:08,2
4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 8:09,5
5 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 8:11,3
SS 5, Whaanga Coast 29.52km 1st Car: 13:08
1 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 21:28,2
1 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 21:28,2
3 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 21:37,0
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 21:37,4
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 21:38,9
SS 6, Te Papatapu 2 16.75km 1st Car: 13:51
1 McRae Ford Focus WRC 10:49,1
2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 10:53,2
3 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 10:53,9
4 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 10:57,4
5 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 10:58,7
SS 7, Manukau Super 1 2.10km 1st Car: 18:30
1 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 1:21,6
2 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:21,8
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 1:22,4
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 1:22,9
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:23,4
SS 8, Manukau Super 2 2.10km 1st Car: 18:45
1 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 1:20,1
2 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:20,6
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 1:20,7
4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 1:21,3
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:21,4
Thursday, 20 September 2001
The world's top rally stars will fight for victory on some of the finest roads in the world on the tenth round of this year's FIA World Rally Championship, the Propecia Rally New Zealand, which starts in earnest tomorrow morning. The country's smooth, flowing gravel stages are regarded by many of the leading drivers as the most enjoyable in the series. And with the first three drivers on the road - championship leader Tommi Mäkinen, Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz - all striving to notch up a record 24th win at this level, there should be a typically close battle on the WRC's longest haul trip. Mäkinen will be doubly keen to put his title bid back on track after an embarrassing early retirement on the Rally Finland last month. Rally New Zealand is the final appearance for the Lancer Evolution before a new World Rally Car version makes its debut in Sanremo. Four-times champion Mäkinen will hope that the proven package can help him to extend his six-point cushion over nearest challenger McRae, and move Mitsubishi clear of Ford in the manufacturers' series.
All of the front-running crews will have to watch later runners, though, on stages that are expected to become clearer of loose gravel with every passing car. Drivers like Marcus Grönholm (a winner in Finland and sixth on the road) and Richard Burns (seventh) could have a traction advantage over Mäkinen, McRae and Sainz. Away from the action, rallying's top stars paid tribute to the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States at this evening's ceremonial start in the centre of the New Zealand capital. Crews, teams and officials observed two minutes of silence before the first car drove over the start ramp.
FORD (1st - 66 points)
Technical: Ford's engineers report no major alterations to the specifications of the Focus RS WRC01s for this event. The team continues to investigate the engine failure that halted Carlos Sainz on the Safari Rally - an ECU fault now seems the most likely cause.
Sporting: Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae are nominated for manufacturers' points, with François Delecour aiming for drivers' points only. Delecour's car will run in a special colour scheme as a mark of respect to those killed in last week's terrorist attacks in the United States.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "If it stays dry then there'll be problems with the loose gravel, because it'll just get swept out of the way and we'll have to try to follow the clean lines as best as possible. But when we're second on the road we won't have much to go on! This event, Australia and Great Britain are crucial for us in the championship, because we still don't know much about the asphalt form for Sanremo or Corsica.
Carlos Sainz said: "I think in some places this rally could be the worst one ever for roads cleaning. Where the roads have been regraded there is a lot of loose gravel and it will sweep clean even more than it does in Australia. I wish we could find a solution to this situation.
MITSUBISHI (2nd - 66 points)
Technical: The Lancer Evolutions of Tommi Mäkinen, Freddy Loix and Toni Gardemeister are unchanged in basic specification for this event, which marks the final appearance of the Group A car before the Lancer World Rally Car appears next month in Sanremo.
Sporting: Current world championship leader Tommi Mäkinen has never won in New Zealand but the Finn will be aiming to break his duck to restore his title bid after his early retirement on home soil. The four-times champion is again joined in Mitsubishi's manufacturer nominations by his countryman Toni Gardemeister. Belgian Freddy Loix is thus able to score drivers' points only.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "I'm not thinking too much about the new car in Sanremo yet, although I did have the chance to test it recently and it instantly had a good feeling. But I think we can get a good result here too - running first on the road could be a big problem for us but the current car's still strong enough here to challenge.
Toni Gardemeister said: "I feel very relaxed about this rally. We don't really have anything planned beyond this event so I can just concentrate on doing as good a job as possible.
PEUGEOT (3rd - 39 points)
Technical: The three works Peugeot 206 WRCs feature few revisions since Marcus Grönholm won last time out in Finland. The reigning world champion has opted to switch to a five-speed gearbox, however, leaving Harri Rovanperä and Didier Auriol to use the six-speed unit.
Sporting: Peugeot has nominated reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm and 1994 title-holder Didier Auriol for manufacturers' points. The third 206 WRC of Harri Rovanperä will be eligible for drivers' points only.
Quotes: Marcus Gronholm said: "I'm quite confident about this rally. Of course we had a good result in Finland - it was nice to win again and I don't want to wait as long again! The car felt really good in the shakedown - it felt quick and very easy to drive as well. I've chosen the five-speed gearbox because sometimes in Finland I felt I was changing too many gears, and also I think the five-speed unit maybe has a slightly higher top speed. It's a very close thing between the five- and six-speed 'boxes, but I thought I'd try it.
Didier Auriol said: "I'm looking forward to this rally. The stages are good to drive and I've got quite a good record here. We had bad luck in Finland and it's been a hard season so far so I'm hoping for a clean run. If we get that, then I'm sure our times will be good enough to challenge.
SUBARU (4th- 35 points)
Technical: Subaru's Impreza WRC2001s remain essentially unchanged from their Rally Finland specification, although Richard Burns's example is fitted with a revised airbox that is slightly lighter and gives a little more power.
Sporting: Subaru has entered three Impreza WRC2001s in Finland. Richard Burns and Petter Solberg will both be nominated for manufacturers' points, while a late decision means that Japanese driver Toshihiro Arai uses the third car instead of Markko Martin. The Estonian driver completed the pre-event recce, however.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "I've won here before and I'm pretty confident, even though it'll be tough. We know from Finland last month that the car's performance is good on hard gravel surfaces and the tyres worked well too. Road position will make a difference in places but we'll just have to see how that develops.
Petter Solberg said: "I've got a good feeling here. The car felt excellent at shakedown and the stages are really enjoyable to drive - lots of flowing corners, tricky camber and with the loose gravel it can be slippery too. I'm keeping the same approach as recent events - I'm just intending to drive at my own pace and not get drawn into thinking too much about the other guys.
SKODA (5th - 15 points)
Skoda has elected not to make the trip to New Zealand. The Czech team has been concentrating on tweaking the Octavia WRCs for the forthcoming asphalt events.
HYUNDAI (6th - 10 points)
Technical: Hyundai has made few changes to the Accent WRC2s beyond the minor engine modifications that were introduced on the last round in Finland.
Sporting: Hyundai is represented in New Zealand by its two regular drivers - Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae. Eriksson (who won the Rally New Zealand in 1997) takes a break after this event, since the Swede will be replaced in Sanremo and Corsica by the team's asphalt expert Piero Liatti.
Quotes: Alister McRae said: "We got a fastest time here last year, the first for the Accent, and we'd obviously like a bit more of that this time! I think there's good cause to be optimistic - the car's a lot closer to the pace now than it was then, and we should have the advantage of roads that have been cleaned by the front crews. If we get a troublefree run then I'm sure we can fight for points.
Kenneth Eriksson said: "I love this event - the roads are great here, with a good blend of twisty and flowing stages. The car's been improving all the time and with the cleaning roads I think there's potential for a good result.
CITROEN
Citroen's Xsara WRCs are not present in New Zealand, as the French team prepares for its two outings in Sanremo and Corsica in October. It recently gained approval from rival manufacturers to run FIA Super 1600 Cup leader Sebastien Loeb in a third Xsara WRC in Sanremo.
OTHER TEAMS
If, as expected, the stages are swept clear of loose gravel by the leading crews, several World Rally Car drivers further down the order could capitalise. Local driver and newly-crowned Australian champion Possum Bourne uses a Subaru Impreza WRC, while British privateer Neil Wearden will drive a Peugeot 206 WRC run by Italian team Grifone. In the Group N category for more standard vehicles, reigning class champion Manfred Stohl faces stiff competition from Argentine drivers Gabriel Pozzo and Marcos Ligato.
The event also marks two significant car debuts in the world championship. The latest Subaru Impreza STi appears in Group A form, driven by Bruce Herbert, while Geof Argyle gives the Group A Mitsubishi Lancer E7 its first outing in the series.
TYRE FACTS
Pirelli is supplying its teams with two types of tyre - the K (for hard surfaces) and KM (for soft or sandy surfaces). Michelin is offering two options - the ZA, for loose or damp top surfaces, and the Z, for clear hard ground.
STAGE ITINERARY
GMT +12
Leg 1, Friday 21st September (440.49 km)
05:05 Start from Auckland
08:33 SS 1 Te Akau North 32.37km
10:41 SS 2 Maungatawhiri 6.52km
11:04 SS 3 Te Papatapu 1 16.75km
11:37 SS 4 Te Hutewai 11.32km
13:08 SS 5 Whaanga Coast 29.52km
13:51 SS 6 Te Papatapu 2 16.75km
14:35 End of Leg 1 in Raglan
Leg 2, Friday 21st September (668.55 km)
15:20 Start from Raglan
18:30 SS 7 Manukau Super 1 2.10km
18:45 SS 8 Manukau Super 2 2.10km
19:45 Rest halt in Auckland
Leg 2 cont.Saturday 22nd September
06:50 Start from Auckland
09:53 SS 9 Parahi / Ararua 59.00km
12:51 SS 10 Batley 19.82km
13:24 SS 11 Waipu Gorge 11.24km
13:42 SS 12 Brooks 16.03km
14:10 SS 13 Paparoa Station 11.64km
15:50 SS 14 Cassidy 21.64km
16:33 SS 15 Mititai 26.82km
17:16 SS 16 Takatoka 10.15km
17:41 End of leg 2 in Ruawai
Leg 3, Saturday 22nd September (581.10 km)
18:28 Start from Ruawai
21:30 Rest halt in Auckland
Leg 3 cont. Sunday 23rd September
06:30 Start from Auckland
08:38 SS 17 Otorohea Trig 5.50km
09:06 SS 18 Te Akau South 31.24km
11:14 SS 19 Ridge 1 8.53km
11:27 SS 20 Campbell 1 7.44km
11:45 SS 21 Ridge 2 8.53km
11:58 SS 22 Campbell 2 7.44km
12:41 SS 23 Fyfe 1 8.00km
12:54 SS 24 Fyfe 2 8.00km
13:07 SS 25 TV Special 3.00km
15:25 Finish of the rally in Manukau
wrc
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