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Petter Solberg will start day two of Rally New Zealand in the lead following a dramatic start to round five of the World Rally Championship on the stages north of host city Auckland.
However, Sebastien Loeb, who began the event with a 40-point lead in the drivers’ standings, is more than one minute off the pace following a major scare on the event’s fourth stage when he struck a bridge in his Citroen C4 WRC and lost vital time trying to keep his driver’s door closed.
Solberg, at the wheel of a privately-run C4, held the lead after the opening two stages but slipped behind Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo, falling to fourth before striking back in the afternoon to go fastest through stage eight, the repeat of the Cassidy test where Loeb hit trouble in the morning, which handed him the overnight advantage.
Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala is second heading into day two, despite reporting that he wasn’t happy with his driving during the morning’s loop of four stages. He heads Citroen Junior Team’s Sebastien Ogier, who was fastest on three of Friday’s eight gravel stages.
Dani Sordo is fourth in the second works C4, having led after four stages. At the remote service halt in Whangarei, the Spaniard conceded that he might not be able to maintain his advantage through the afternoon and was proved right. Mikko Hirvonen is fifth overnight in the second works Focus and admitted he hadn’t been pleased with his performance.
New Zealand Rally – Day 1 classification
1. Petter Solberg (Citroën C4 WRC) in 1h35’51’’3
2. Jari-Matti-Latvala (Ford Focus RS WRC 09) +1’’4
3. Sébastien Ogier (Citroën C4 WRC) +3’’9
4. Dani Sordo (Citroen C4 WRC) +8’’7
5. Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Focus RS WRC 09) +20’’2
6. Matthew Wilson (Ford Focus RS WRC 08) +1’09’’7
7. Sébastien Loeb (Citroen C4 WRC) +1’19’’8
8. Henning Solberg (Ford Focus C4 WRC 08) +1’45’’3
9. Jari Ketomaa (Ford Fiesta S2000) +4’18’’0
10. Xavier Pons (Ford Fiesta S2000) +4’40’’5
etc.
Petter Solberg will start day two of Rally New Zealand in the lead following a dramatic start to round five of the World Rally Championship on the stages north of host city Auckland.
However, Sebastien Loeb, who began the event with a 40-point lead in the drivers’ standings, is more than one minute off the pace following a major scare on the event’s fourth stage when he struck a bridge in his Citroen C4 WRC and lost vital time trying to keep his driver’s door closed.
Solberg, at the wheel of a privately-run C4, held the lead after the opening two stages but slipped behind Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo, falling to fourth before striking back in the afternoon to go fastest through stage eight, the repeat of the Cassidy test where Loeb hit trouble in the morning, which handed him the overnight advantage.
Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala is second heading into day two, despite reporting that he wasn’t happy with his driving during the morning’s loop of four stages. He heads Citroen Junior Team’s Sebastien Ogier, who was fastest on three of Friday’s eight gravel stages.
Dani Sordo is fourth in the second works C4, having led after four stages. At the remote service halt in Whangarei, the Spaniard conceded that he might not be able to maintain his advantage through the afternoon and was proved right. Mikko Hirvonen is fifth overnight in the second works Focus and admitted he hadn’t been pleased with his performance.
New Zealand Rally – Day 1 classification
1. Petter Solberg (Citroën C4 WRC) in 1h35’51’’3
2. Jari-Matti-Latvala (Ford Focus RS WRC 09) +1’’4
3. Sébastien Ogier (Citroën C4 WRC) +3’’9
4. Dani Sordo (Citroen C4 WRC) +8’’7
5. Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Focus RS WRC 09) +20’’2
6. Matthew Wilson (Ford Focus RS WRC 08) +1’09’’7
7. Sébastien Loeb (Citroen C4 WRC) +1’19’’8
8. Henning Solberg (Ford Focus C4 WRC 08) +1’45’’3
9. Jari Ketomaa (Ford Fiesta S2000) +4’18’’0
10. Xavier Pons (Ford Fiesta S2000) +4’40’’5
etc.