The opening leg of Rally New Zealand has been a dream start for the BP-Ford World Rally Team, which is chasing its first FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers title since 1979. Finnish crews Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen hold first and second positions respectively, with Spaniard Daniel Sordo (Citroën Xsara WRC) inching into third after 131 kilometres of competition.

Rally New Zealand, the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship, is a favourite with the drivers and the roads on the North Island are considered to be some of the best in the world. Based in Hamilton - 130 kilometres south of Auckland - for the first time, the event’s roads are virtually new to the drivers, but the smooth nature of the gently winding gravel tracks pose few mechanical demands and tempt the drivers into really attacking.

Marcus Grönholm led from the outset, the Ford driver winning the first two of the day’s five stages to pull out a 17.7 advantage over team-mate Hirvonen, despite hitting a fence post and suffering a puncture in the first stage. The Finn continued to dominate over the afternoon’s repeated stages and ended the leg with five stage wins and a 31.2 second lead.

Hirvonen has been hot on his heels throughout the day and, despite not being entirely happy with the handling of the car, has claimed second-fastest in four stages. Austrian Manfred Stohl (Peugeot 307 WRC) was third throughout the leg and in a close fight with fourth-placed Sordo. However, a 1.4 second advantage turned into a 2.2 second deficit after the closing 3.14 kilometre super special stage and Stohl slipped to fourth overnight. Sordo’s Kronos Total Citroën team-mate Xavier Pons has climbed into fifth, but the two crews still have a task ahead of them if they are to deny Ford a Championship title. Petter Solberg’s woes continue and the Subaru driver overnights in sixth, a lack of grip causing him and team-mate Chris Atkinson on-going problems.

Valentino Rossi - MotoGP star and winner of a total of seven World Championship titles - is competing in his second World Championship rally. The Italian, who is determined to finish the event and assess his potential in the sport of rallying, lost time in the first stage with a spin. He nevertheless progressed during the day and overnights in 24th position.

Rally New Zealand - Results after Leg 1
 

1	Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen	Ford Focus RS WRC	1 hr 31 min 58.0sec
2	Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen	Ford Focus RS WRC	1 hr 32 min 29.2sec
3	Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti	Citroën Xsara WRC	1 hr 33 min 14.2sec
4	Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor	Peugeot 307 WRC	1 hr 33 min 16.4sec
5	Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio	Citroën Xsara WRC	1 hr 33 min 40.5sec
6	Petter Solberg/Phil Mills	Subaru Impreza WRC	1 hr 33 min 46.3sec

 
Note to Editors: Attached images of rally leader Marcus Grönholm and Valentino Rossi are copyright free for editorial use.