Grönholm takes Rally New Zealand by narrowest of margins

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Marcus Grönholm has won the Rally New Zealand, but by the slimmest of margins. The Finnish rally ace completed the race only 0.3 seconds ahead of his closest rival for this year’s World Rally Championship title, the current world champion Sebastien Loeb of France (Citroen).
      Grönholm’s fellow countryman and Ford teammate Mikko Hirvonen finished third one minute and 42 seconds behind Grönholm. Yet another Finn, Jari-Matti Latvala, came home in fifth.
      Grönholm’s fifth win of this season also marked his fifth number one finish in the Rally New Zealand. The Finn now has a ten-point lead over Loeb in the drivers’ world championship table.
     
The race culminated on Sunday in a seven special stage duel between Grönholm and Loeb. Grönholm, who already led the race by 15 seconds on Saturday, lost his advantage because of a poor choice of tyres.
      This enabled Loeb to get back on terms, and the Frenchman set off to Sunday’s first special stage with a 1.7-second lead.
      For Grönholm, however, driving on the well-maintained and fast gravel roads of New Zealand is like driving back home in Finland. This is confirmed by the impressive list of victories here from 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, and now 2007. This could be further complemented by two second place finishes in 2004 and 2005.
     
As a result, Grönholm, after making use of all his knowledge and skills regarding the race, netted four of Sunday’s seven special stages. Even so, before the final 3.14-km special stage, Grönholm had managed to carve out a lead of just 0.7 seconds over Loeb. In the last leg of the race the Frenchman was faster, but only by 0.4 seconds.
      Hirvonen’s third place, on the other hand, was not threatened by anybody, and he drove through Sunday’s special stages with composure.
     
Elsewhere, Jari-Matti Latvala, who races in Ford’s number two team, lost his fourth place to Subaru’s Chris Atkinson during the second to last special stage.
      Finland’s Juho Hänninen, who drives a Mitsubishi N Group car, finished 19th.
     
Grönholm's narrow win, and the two-point advantage it brought over Loeb, could be vital: the next two rallies in Spain and Corsica are on asphalt and the Citroen driver must feel confident of reducing the gap.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mistake in final special stage costs Grönholm three points (20.8.2007)

Links:
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