Leg 1: Hyundai leads, Peugeot mix-up

Peugeot had sent team members to the end of the 16.75km Te Papatapu stage to find out what times Ford drivers Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz were setting. The plan was then to work out what the three 206 WRC cars should aim for to get the ideal position on the road on Saturday. However, the plan backfired slightly when the spotters didn't have enough time to calculate just how fast their drivers should go.

"Our people got the Ford times very late," said Peugeot team director Jean-Pierre Nicolas. "It all happened too quickly. For Marcus it was a minute out. It was our fault."

Gronholm, who would have preferred to be at least sixth on the road on Leg Two, was philosophical after the mix-up.

"This is a strange race, strange tactics," joked the Finn. "I realised the time on the board was wrong, but by then it was too late. I was already between the yellow and red boards so I couldn't stop."

The drivers who topped the standings going into the Kiwi event found themselves struggling for grip on roads coated with up to an inch of loose gravel. Championship leader Tommi Makinen has suffered the most, losing over two seconds per kilometre to the leaders, while Kenneth Eriksson, who started the day in 14th place, heads the rally.

The question of tactical driving could have taken the shine off Eriksson's efforts, however the Swede realised what he has achieved - a Hyundai leads a World Rally Championship event for the first time.

"I feel very good," he said. "We're making history here. I will try to keep a hold of the lead tonight (after SS7 and SS8)."

With Leg Two's first stage being a 59kms marathon, many drivers will be praying for wet weather if they don't want to drop a possible two minutes in the morning. When Eriksson was asked if he wanted rain to compact the gravel surface, he quipped: "I think I'd like a typhoon!"

Mitsubishi's Tommi Makinen, lying in 14th and over two minutes back, was much more downbeat. "We'll just try to do what we can," he said.

The Ford team fared only slightly better, holding positions three and four after SS6. Carlos Sainz has his nose in front of team mate Colin McRae, but he too is not particularly optimistic about his chances.

"I cannot do anything," said the Spaniard. "I'm looking stupid now."

McRae said: "It would have been better to have been sixth, seventh or eighth on the road tomorrow, instead of fourth. We'll have the same problem for the whole rally unless it rains."

Richard Burns would seem to have bagged an ideal start position, running ninth and easily capable of overturning the 48.5s deficit to Eriksson's Hyundai. Unsurprisingly, the Englishman wants the weather to stay dry.

"The clutch was slipping on the last stage," said Burns. "We're in the bottom half of the top 10, but not too far behind in terms of time. I hope it stays dry tomorrow."

For Rally Australia, in November, organisers will again adopt a system where drivers choose their start positions based on their championship or overall placings, and other rallies may follow suit. "At least people are now talking about it," continued Burns. "It shows that the sport's rulers are taking the matter seriously."

Burns' team mate, Petter Solberg, suffered mechanical problems on the way out to SS5 and SS6, despite this, the Norwegian will start Leg Two in sixth.

"On the road out to the two stages the fan stopped working and the engine temperature went up to 130 degrees," said the Norwegian. "The engine went into safe mapping mode, but I still should have been further back."

Didier Auriol, who was lying in third before SS6, also had problems when his power steering broke on the way to the stage.

"I was pushing hard trying not to lose too much time," said the Peugeot driver. "But we still lost 30 seconds too much." He starts Leg Two in 11th, 1m30s behind Eriksson.


1 Kenneth Eriksson, Hyundai, 1h16m19.5s
Marcus Gronholm, Peugeot, +16.5s
Carlos Sainz, Ford, +20.5s
Colin McRae, Ford, +30.4s
Petter Solberg, Subaru, +39.6s
Freddy Loix, Mitsubishi, +44.6s
Francois Delecour, Ford, +47.4s
Richard Burns, Subaru, +47.7s
Alister McRae, Hyundai, +47.7s
Possum Bourne, Subaru, +52.9s