Motorsport: Rally kings prepare for NZ

Sebastien Loeb, who won in the New Zealand round last year, says the roads are 'really fun to drive'. Photo / Supplied

The kings of car control will be tackling the gravel roads of New Zealand next weekend.

The World Rally Championship's fifth round is back on Kiwi soil to celebrate Rally New Zealand's 40th anniversary and is a particular favourite with the international rally stars.

The event is the oldest WRC race in the Southern Hemisphere and moves back to Auckland after three years in Hamilton.

Drivers will be challenged with fast, open and flowing gravel sections with big cambers and jumps, blind corners and enough twists and turns to put the unaware in knots.

Some of the stages will reward the brave and hammer the cautious.

Defending world champion Sebastien Loeb, who triumphed in the New Zealand round last year, is looking forward to it despite some close finishes in the past.

"In a way I hope it's not like in the past because I lost some battles, but on another hand, it's one of my best memories, as we really enjoyed it and it was extremely intense," said Loeb.

"The roads are really nice and interesting here. Most of the roads are wide and very fast so you have some big slides at very high speed. It's really fun to drive."

Loeb has not been as dominant on Kiwi roads as he has at other events and again will be pushed hard by the chasing pack.

He has jumped out of the box fast in this year's title race and has a healthy 40-point lead over Petter Solberg, with Mikko Hirvonen a further point back. It would be surprising to see the French flyer resting on his laurels.

"Of course this lead gives me a bit of a breather if a joker result happens, if we have less luck or make a mistake," said Loeb.

"I will do everything I can to score as many points as possible on each round. My experience and the recent one of the 2009 season has confirmed that we should never relax, and give 100 per cent all the time if we want to be able to win."

Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala in the Fords have been competitive on New Zealand gravel and Hirvonen was on course to win in 2008, but punctured late on the Sunday. Latvala inherited the lead only to retire with a punctured radiator.

"I think Mikko and Jari-Matti are my biggest threats," said Loeb.

"Their cars have always been very competitive in New Zealand and the terrain is rather similar to Finland where they both come from. But we have also won there and I like this rally. Petter is in good form and now he has a Citroen, he proves that he is still right on the pace.

"It's also great for the championship that several drivers can come into the battle."

This year has two new tarmac super-special stages - the first at the Auckland Domain on Friday evening and the other at the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, just south of Auckland, on Saturday morning, repeated in the afternoon.

While the Domain will be entertaining, the two super-specials at Hampton Downs will be the ones to watch.

Teams are allowed only one type of tyre for the day's event and gravel-spec rubber is not really designed to be pushed to the limits on tarmac.

"I do not know this place, but a super stage is always nice for spectators," said Loeb. "It will be no problem. We have done that several times in other events and it's spectacular. Pirelli tyres are strong."

The ceremonial start is at the Viaduct Harbour on Wednesday at 6.30pm, with racing proper starting at Waipu Gorge at 9.03am on Saturday and finishing at the Viaduct Harbour on Sunday at 3pm.

The recent announcement that New Zealand is not on the WRC's 2011 calendar brings with it a risk we will not make it back for future series.

This could be New Zealanders' last chance to see the world's best dirt drivers and, in six-time world champion Loeb, one of the greatest ever on a gravel track.

POINTS TABLE
* Sebastien Loeb: 93
* Petter Solberg: 53
* Mikko Hirvonen: 52
* Jari-Matti Latvala: 47
* Sebastien Ogier: 45
* Dani Sordo: 24
* Matthew Wilson: 22
* Federico Villagra: 20

PAST WINNERS
* 2003: Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen
* 2004: Petter Solberg/Phil Mills
* 2005: Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena
* 2006: Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen
* 2007: Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen
* 2008: Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena
* 2009: Not held