Championship leader Petter Solberg (Subaru) took an early lead which he held onto for three stages.  But the Norwegian could shake off neither Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) nor Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot).  The trio reached service midway through the day with Loeb heading Grönholm and Solberg but they were covered by just 0.8sec.  Loeb was sensational through the afternoon tests.  He was fastest on three of the four stages to open a 23.1sec advantage over Grönholm.  Solberg could not hold off a charging François Duval (Citroen), who opted for the same tyres as Gardemeister, and ended the leg 5.0sec ahead.  Chris Atkinson (Subaru) again impressed and he lies fifth after claiming a first fastest time in the WRC on the final stage.  Gig Galli (Mitsubishi) ran as high as sixth before alternator problems in the afternoon dropped him to 10th.  Janne Tuohino (Skoda) incurred a 50 second penalty after his team had to fit a replacement electronic control unit in the engine moments before the start.  The Finn is 12th.

Saturday’s Route

The bulk of the second leg is located in the same area close to the Paparoa service park and is the longest of the rally.  After leaving service at 09.00, competitors face two loops of three speed tests before returning to Auckland for two passes over the spectacular floodlit super special stage at Manukau.  Two stages from the first loop are repeated in the second and the opening 21.35km Waipu Caves test is new to the rally.  Drivers face 139.49km of competition before the final overnight halt in Auckland at 20.30. 

Leaderboard after Leg 1

1.  S Loeb/D Elena                      F               Citroen Xsara           1hr 12min 01.1sec 2.  M Grönholm/T Rautiainen       FIN            Peugeot 307             1hr 12min 24.2sec 3.  F Duval/S Prévot                    B               Citroen Xsara           1hr 12min 27.8sec 4.  P Solberg/P Mills                   N               Subaru Impreza  1hr 12min 32.8sec 5.  C Atkinson/G MacNeall        AUS           Subaru Impreza  1hr 12min 55.4sec 6.  T Gardemeister/J Honkanen   FIN             Ford Focus RS   1hr 13min 00.8sec 7.  M Märtin/M Park                     EE              Peugeot 307             1hr 13min 10.3sec 8.  M Stohl/I Minor                     A               Citroen Xsara           1hr 13min 48.3sec 9.  H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen   FIN             Mitsubishi Lancer       1hr 13min 54.2sec 10 G Galli/G D'Amore                    I               Mitsubishi Lancer       1hr 14min 01.7sec

Stage Times

Stage 1: 1. Solberg 12min 59.5sec; 2. Loeb + 1.7; 3. Duval + 4.2; 4. Grönholm + 4.6; 5. Gardemeister + 9.2; 6. Atkinson + 10.3.

Stage 2: 1. Grönholm 10min 30.7sec; 2= Solberg, Loeb + 1.2; 4. Märtin + 4.4; 5. Duval + 7.1; 6. Galli + 9.4; 7. Gardemeister + 11.7.

Overall: 1. Solberg 23min 31.4sec; 2. Loeb + 1.7; 3. Grönholm + 3.4; 4. Duval + 10.1; 5. Märtin + 14.1; 6. Gardemeister + 19.7.

Stage 3: 1. Atkinson 6min 40.0sec; 2. Loeb + 1.2; 3. Solberg + 1.8; 4= Märtin, Grönholm + 2.6; 6. Galli + 3.6; 10. Gardemeister + 7.4.

Overall: 1. Solberg 30min 13.2sec; 2. Loeb + 1.1; 3. Grönholm + 4.2; 4. Duval + 12.0; 5. Märtin + 14.9; 6. Galli + 23.5; 8. Gardemeister + 25.3.

Stage 4: 1. Grönholm 9min 45.0sec; 2. Atkinson + 0.7; 3. Loeb + 2.5; 4. Duval + 3.5; 5. Solberg + 4.4; 6. Tuohino + 6.3; 11. Gardemeister + 13.0.

Overall: 1. Loeb 40min 01.8sec; 2. Grönholm + 0.6; 3. Solberg + 0.8; 4. Duval + 11.9; 5. Märtin + 20.4; 6. Atkinson + 20.9; 8. Gardemeister + 34.7.

Stage 5: 1. Loeb 10min 11.0sec; 2. Grönholm + 7.5; 3. Duval + 7.8; 4. Solberg + 9.8; 5. Gardemeister + 11.0; 6. Atkinson 13.5.

Overall: 1. Loeb 50min 12.8sec; 2. Grönholm + 8.1; 3. Solberg + 10.6; 4. Duval + 19.7; 5. Atkinson + 34.4; 6. Märtin + 34.8; 8. Gardemeister + 45.7.

Stage 6: 1. Loeb 6min 22.5sec; 2. Duval + 4.3; 3. Gardemeister + 5.6; 4. Grönholm 6.3; 5. Solberg + 7.2; 6. Märtin + 7.6.

Overall: 1. Loeb 56min 35.3sec; 2. Grönholm + 14.4; 3. Solberg + 17.8; 4. Duval + 24.0; 5. Märtin + 42.4; 6. Atkinson + 43.8; 7. Gardemeister + 51.3.

Stage 7: 1. Loeb 9min 17.7sec; 2. Duval + 6.3; 3. Grönholm + 7.8; 4. Gardemeister + 9.3; 5. Solberg + 10.7; 6. Atkinson + 16.1.

Overall: 1. Loeb 1hr 05min 53.0sec; 2. Grönholm + 22.2; 3. Solberg + 28.5; 4. Duval + 30.3; 5. Märtin + 59.3; 6. Atkinson + 59.9; 7. Gardemeister + 1:00.6.

Stage 8: 1. Atkinson 6min 02.5sec; 2. Duval + 2.0; 3. Gardemeister + 4.7; 4. Loeb + 5.6; 5. Tuohino + 5.9; 6. Grönholm + 6.5.

Overall: 1. Loeb 1hr 12min 01.1sec; 2. Grönholm + 23.1; 3. Duval + 26.7; 4. Solberg + 31.7; 5. Atkinson + 54.3; 6. Gardemeister + 59.7.