SS1, Te Akau North: Gronholm leads the way
Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm was fastest through the first of Rally New Zealand's stages, the 32.37km Te Akau North test. The world champion, who took his first win of the season last time out in Finland, cleared the stage in 18m04.6s, four-and-a-half seconds quicker than McRae. However it wasn't championship favourite Colin that finished just behind Gronholm - it was younger brother Alister, in the Hyundai Accent, that was on the pace on Te Akau North
McRae Snr finished just half a second back from Alister in his Ford Focus WRC, followed by the leading Subaru of Norwegian Petter Solberg.
Gronholm's team mate, Didier Auriol was fifth fastest, and Hyundai will be pleased to have two cars in the top six after Kenneth Eriksson posted the sixth fastest time.
Championship leader Tommi Makinen lost more than 40 seconds on the on the first stage of the day, complaining to his Mitsubishi team that he couldn't find any grip on New Zealand's loose gravel surface. The Finn is the first on the road on today's stages so is clearing some of the gravel for his competitors, and is lying in 15th after Te Akau North.
Richard Burns didn't get off to the best of starts either, finishing more than 27 seconds behind Gronholm. But fellow Brit Neil Wearden will be well pleased with his first effort of the day, setting the ninth fastest time in his Grifone-run Peugeot 206 WRC. The Lancastrian hasn't been on New Zealand's stages before so his time is all the more impressive.
He is currently lying behind Ford duo of Francois Delecour and Carlos Sainz. Harri Rovanpera rounds out the top 10 in the third of the Peugeots.
Marcus Gronholm, Peugeot, 18m04.6s
Alister McRae, Hyundai, +02.8s
Colin McRae, Ford, +03.2s
Petter Solberg, Subaru, +0.4.4s
Didier Auriol, Peugeot, +06.7s
Kenneth Eriksson, Hyundai, +10.9s
Marcus Gronholm, Peugeot, 18m04.6s
Alister McRae, Hyundai, +02.8s
Colin McRae, Ford, +03.2s
Petter Solberg, Subaru, +0.4.4s
Didier Auriol, Peugeot, +06.7s
Kenneth Eriksson, Hyundai, +10.9s
Francois Delecour, Ford, +13.7s
Carlos Sainz, Ford, +15.5s
Neil Wearden, Peugeot, +16.0s
Harri Rovanpera, Peugeot, +16.7s
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