Solberg takes early lead in Australia

Solberg beat his rival for the runner-up spot in this year's title race, Marcus Gronholm, by just 0.2 seconds through the first two runnings of the 2.35-km stage.

Gronholm, in Peugeot's last rally before they withdraw from the sport, recorded the fastest time of the day round the stage on the second running. However he was nearly a second slower than Solberg on the first go.

Citroen's Francois Duval upstaged double world rally champion teammate Sebastien Loeb by taking third, only half a second off Solberg's pace.

With the shackles now off after Citroen wrapped up the manufacturers' title in Spain last month, Duval is out to impress in order to secure a drive for next season with Citroen taking a sabbatical.

Harri Rovanpera led Mitsubishi's charge in fifth ahead of local favourite Chris Atkinson, 1.9 seconds off his Subaru teammate Solberg, in sixth.

Outgoing Ford driver Toni Gardemeister lies in seventh overall in the new Focus WRC 06, ahead of former World champion Colin McRae, returning to the seat of the second Skoda after his seventh-placed finish in September's Rally GB.

The first leg starts in earnest tomorrow, with seven full stages before two more runnings of the Superspecial tomorrow evening.

Pos Driver       Make           Time
 1. Solberg      Subaru       3:06.8
 2. Gronholm     Peugeot     +   0.2
 3. Duval        Citroen     +   0.5
 4. Loeb         Citroen     +   0.8
 5. Rovanpera    Mitsubishi  +   1.6
 6. Atkinson     Subaru      +   1.9
 7. Gardemeister Ford        +   2.0
 8. McRae        Skoda       +   2.3
 9. Carlsson     Peugeot     +   2.9
10. Stohl        Citroen     +   3.2
11. Galli        Mitsubishi  +   3.5
12. Schwarz      Skoda       +   4.0
13. Kresta       Ford        +   4.3
14. Warmbold     Ford        +   4.5
15. Sola         Ford        +   5.0
16. Pons         Citroen     +   6.0
17. Herridge     Subaru      +  12.0
18. Crocker      Subaru      +  12.5
19. Arai         Subaru      +  13.1
20. Nutahara     Mitsubishi  +  13.1