The Rally New Zealand began tonight at 19.25 local time (8.25 GMT) with two runs through the Manukau Super Special Stage in the Southern suburbs of Auckland.  

Both Xsaras experienced a difficult start where the cars were running two by two. "For the first run, explained Sébastien, I was driving on the outside track. My launch control didn't work properly and I couldn't start very well. As I was driving behind Markko Märtin – on the other track – I got stuck in the dust and the gravel coming from his car. For the second run I didn't use the automatic start procedure. I was again behind my rival but as I was driving on the inside track, I didn't have the same "dust problem".

Carlos Sainz also experienced similar problems with the launch control. The Madrid based driver stalled the engine at the start of the second stage. After these first two stages, the Xsaras returned to the Auckland Parc fermé, located at the foot of the 328 meter high Sky Tower.

Tomorrow morning at 5.30 local time (18.30 GMT), Sébastien will leave the Sky Tower in first position on the road. After a two hour road section, he will bring his car into Parc Fermé at the Paparoa service park.

As all the other competitors, he will jump in his recce car for the second pass through tomorrow's stages before the actual start of the leg at 10.13 (23.13 GMT). This new event format is called "Mille Pistes" and is being used for the very first time in the FIA World Rally Championship.