Both SEATs in the points

This was the first WRC outing for the new Evo II Cordoba. Some predicted it would be a contender for victory after some stunning testing times, but that was always an over-ambitious target for a brand new car.

Rovanpera ran consistently to take 5th, while Gardemeister recovered by a number of early incidents to finish 6th. The latter also set the first fastest stage time for the new car.

Gardemeister had been told before the rally that another star performance (he was 3rd on his debut for the team in New Zealand) could guarantee him a bigger programme for the rest of the season. Perhaps that extra pressure explained his multitude of spins on the first leg.

'I am proud that I set the first fastest stage time in the new Cordoba,' he said. 'This is a good present for SEAT after it put faith in me by giving me this fantastic opportunity to drive in the WRC.'

Rovanpera, whose star has waned somewhat since the arrival of Gardemeister, paid tribute to the hard work put in by the team.

'The new SEAT has shown a very high level of performance, which allowed us to fight with the fastest cars. This fifth place is a very important reward for everyone at SEAT Sport,' he said. 'I wish to dedicate this result to them. I'm sure we will have many more successful days in the future.'