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Leg 1 wrap-up: Gronholm leads

Marcus Gronholm finished the first Leg of Rally Australia with his lead only just intact by a margin of only two seconds - but the story of the day was the fact that joint championship leader Colin McRae could find himself running a dreaded first on the road for day two (click here for separate story)

For the second time in three years, Rally Australia has devised an innovative system where the drivers choose their start order before each leg in order to avoid running first on the loose Australian gravel. However, McRae was absent when the drivers made their choices and the Scot will be allocated a start slot by the stewards, most likely first on the road.

The Ford ace, who currently shares the championship lead with Tommi Makinen, took the lead on SS6, but a tenacious drive by reigning world champion Gronholm saw the Finn retake the advantage and finish the day with a 3.6s advantage.

Second up is Richard Burns, who will be Gronholm's team mate next season and is also still well in the title chase just six points behind the leaders. Behind Burns, a fierce battle for third place on the Down Under event is raging between McRae and Didier Auriol, which currently lies in Auriol's favour, with the pair split by just 0.3s.

McRae's strongest title rival, Makinen, struggled on Friday with a sore back - the aftermath of his Corsican crash that has left co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki to follow the event from his hospital bed in Marseilles. Makinen lies sixth at present, but the one point he would earn if it stays that way will ensure he stays in the title race to the end.

Ford's other drivers haven't fared too well either on the first full day. Francois Delecour suffered power-steering failure, but not before he had lost time clouting a tree stump, pushing the bodywork into contact with a tyre and also damaging an oil reservoir. The unhappy result was a fire...

Carlos Sainz also had to stop on a road section to put out the flames after a similar incident, but the Spaniard is sweating tonight on any penalties he may incur after the police tracked his battered and bruised car to the following service area, allegedly not as impressed with his determination to stay in the rally as his team management!

For full times at the end of Leg 1, click here.

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