WRC New Zealand: Grönholm takes win in thrilling finish
(bke) Marcus Grönholm notched up his fifth victory of the season in his Ford Focus RS at the FIA World Rally Championship on New Zealand’s North Island,. His closest rival Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) was only 0.3 seconds behind – that is equivalent to 7.5 metres or less than two car lengths and is the closest ever finish in the history of the WRC. Team-mate Mikko Hirvonen came third.
The changeable early-spring weather in New Zealand with some muddy stretches and some dusty gravel tracks resulted in a guessing game as far as selecting the right tyres was concerned; this saw the lead switch back and forth between Grönholm and Loeb on all three days of the rally and rewarded the Finn with a heart-stopping finish. It all came down to the final stage at Mystery Creek.
Marcus Grönholm now leads the drivers’ championship by 10 points. The team is also top of the constructors’ standings with 159 points. The next rally takes place in Spain on 5 - 7 October.
