Round 5

Categories:
WRC, P-WRC, S-WRC

Based:
Auckland

Surface:
Gravel with some asphalt

Most recent winner:
Sebastien Loeb (2008)

Rally website:
http://www.rallynz.org.nz

Rally New Zealand is the oldest WRC event in the Southern Hemisphere and is renowned for its fast flowing gravel roads and the beautiful landscape of the country’s North Island.

Blind crests, fast jumps, flat-out kinks and huge cambers make the roads more challenging than most, but their sweeping, undulating nature means most WRC drivers love them. When it's sunny, the stages can be glorious, but when it rains, they can turn muddy and extremely slippery.

The challenging terrain rewards the drivers with the very best car control. You need to be brave to do well in New Zealand but the high speeds mean the slightest mistake is punished severely.

In its 40th anniversary year, Rally New Zealand has moved 200km north from Hamilton, its base for the past three years, to a new home in the heart of the country's biggest city, Auckland. The next three editions of the rally will be run from here.

A return to Auckland means some classic high-speed stages in the Northland region are back on the itinerary after a four year absence, as well as more familiar tests in the Franklin and north Waikato districts to the south of the city. Mixed surface stages and two Super Specials are also on the cards.

All eyes will be on Petter Solberg. The fans just love him!!

Here are the Shakedown times of the WRC drivers:
1. LATVALA. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 1:07.3
2. LOEB. Citroen C4 WRC. 1:07.5
3. HIRVONEN. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 1:07.6
4. P. SOLBERG. Citroen C4 WRC. 1:07.7
=5. SORDO. Citroen C4 WRC. 1:07.8
=5. H.SOLBERG. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 1:07.8
7. OGIER. Citroen C4 WRC. 1:08.3
=8. VILLAGRA. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 1:08.5
=8. WILSON. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 1:08.5

Day 1 Solberg on top in New Zealand

Pos Driver Time Diff 1st
1 Petter SOLBERG 35:51.3 0
2 Jari-Matti LATVALA 35:52.7 1.4
3 Sebastien OGIER 35:55.2 3.9
4 Dani SORDO 36:00.0 8.7
5 Mikko HIRVONEN 36:11.5 20.2
6 Matthew WILSON 37:01.0 +1:09.7
7 Sebastien LOEB 37:11.1 +1:19.8
8 Henning SOLBERG 37:36.6 +1:45.3
9 Jari KETOMAA 40:09.3 +4:18.0
10 Xavier PONS 40:31.8 +4:40.5

Awesome, Go Petter go.

Incredible performance by Loeb. Beating people by such huge margins through the day is just amazing. He has so much more in reserve and this blitzkrieg sort of gives an impression that he may not even be using all that he has to give in other rallies, even when he wins those.

Wilson praises incredible Loeb

News8TH MAY 2010
By Giles Wade

Malcolm Wilson says he has never seen a performance quite as good as Sebastien Loeb’s on the second day of Rally New Zealand.

Loeb was in seventh overall, 1m19.8s off first place, at the start the second leg but will begin Sunday’s final four stages 5.3s behind leader Sebastien Ogier following a stunning recovery drive.

“It is a privilege to be witnessing what I believe is history being made,” said Wilson. “I’ve seen many great performances over time in this sport but never anything quite like this.”

Wilson said he expected Loeb to snatch second or third place but not to be in contention for victory after he set the fastest time on all of Saturday’s six gravel stages.

“I felt he could get onto the podium but he’s actually managed to be in a position where he could control where he starts the final day. It’s incredible,” added Wilson.

Source: http://www.maxrally.com/news/entry/wils ... ible_loeb/

Afrer Stage 17

Pos Driver Time Diff 1st
1 Sebastien OGIER 05:40.4 0
2 Sebastien LOEB 05:45.7 5.3
3 Jari-Matti LATVALA 06:13.6 33.2
4 Dani SORDO 06:27.9 47.5
5 Petter SOLBERG 06:34.0 53.6
6 Mikko HIRVONEN 06:40.6 +1:00.2
7 Matthew WILSON 08:45.3 +3:04.9
8 Henning SOLBERG 11:21.8 +5:41.4
9 Jari KETOMAA 13:53.1 +8:12.7
10 Federico VILLAGRA 14:09.2 +8:28.8

I cant believe this!!!

talent at its supernatural best!!!

Jari-Matti Latvala wins Rally New Zealand!




Finn Jari-Matti Latvala sealed victory on Rally New Zealand today after a thrilling last day battle that went right to the end of the final stage.
The Ford Focus RS driver began the decisive Whaanga Coast test 6.2 sec behind rally leader Ogier, but edged ahead in the final sector when Ogier spun his Citroen C4 three corners before the finish.
Ogier went on to finish second, 2.4 seconds behind Latvala, while defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb - who also spun on the stage - was third, 15.2 seconds off the lead.
Petter Solberg's final stage bid for victory ended in disaster when the Norwegian drove off the road and crashed his Citroen into an electricity pylon. Petter and co-driver Phil Mills were uninjured.

Pos Driver Time Diff 1st
1 Jari-Matti LATVALA 04:09.8 0
2 Sebastien OGIER 04:12.2 2.4
3 Sebastien LOEB 04:25.0 15.2
4 Mikko HIRVONEN 04:31.1 21.3
5 Dani SORDO 04:35.6 25.8
6 Matthew WILSON 07:35.8 +3:26.0
7 Henning SOLBERG 10:25.1 +6:15.3
8 Jari KETOMAA 14:29.1 +10:19.3
9 Federico VILLAGRA 14:59.6 +10:49.8
10 Xavier PONS 15:23.2 +11:13.4