Motorsport: Rally NZ driver profiles

Petter Solberg of Norway during the 2008 Rally of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

Sébastien Loeb
Age: 35
Co-driver: Daniel Elena
Car: Citroën C4WRC
Home country: France
* 6consecutive WRC drivers' titlesbetween 2004&2009.
* Won Rally New Zealand 2005 & 2008.
* First WRC rally in 2000, 56 WRC victories up to and including Rally Jordan in 2010, all with Citroën.

Daniel (Dani) Sordo
Age: 27
Co-driver: MarcMarti
Car: Citroën C4 WRC
Home country: Spain
* Started with Citroën in 2005,won Junior WRC title.
* Third in WRC in 2008 and 2009.

Mikko Hirvonen
Age: 30
Co-driver: Jarmo Lehtinen
Car: Ford Focus RSWRC09
Home country: Finland
* First WRC rally in Finland in 2002.
* 12 WRC victories and 105 WRC starts.
* Missed winning 2009 WRC drivers' title by one point.

Jari-Matti Latvala
Age: 25
Co-driver: Mikka Anttila
Car: Ford Focus RSWRC09
Home country: Finland
* Two WRC victories and 87 WRC starts.
* Won 2006 production class in New Zealand in a Subaru.

Petter Solberg
Age: 35
Co-driver: Phil Mills
Car: Citroën C4WRC
Home country: Norway
* The 2003 WRC champ in a Subaru.
* WRC drivers' championship runner-up in 2004 & 2005.
* Set up Petter Solberg World Rally Team in 2009; upgraded to a Citroën C4 for 2010.
* Won Rally New Zealand in 2004

Hayden Paddon
Age: 22
Co-driver: John Kennard
Drives: Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX
Home country: New Zealand
* Two-time New Zealand rally champion, 2008 and 2009.
* Second Kiwi to win a place in global Pirelli Star Driver programme.
* Entered for full international PWRC campaign, plus Pirelli WRC
events, in 2010.

Richard Mason
Age: 32
Co-driver: Sara Mason
Drives: Subaru Impreza WRXSTI
Home country: New Zealand
* Husband and wife team who are two-time New Zealand rally champions, 2005 and 2006.
* Second in 2006 PWRC class in Rally New Zealand; third this class in 2007.
* Second in 2009 PWRC class in Rally Australia.

Emma Gilmour
Age: 29
Co-driver: Glenn Macneall
Drives: Subaru Impreza WRXSTI
Home country: New Zealand
* Currently best ranked female rally driver in the world.
* Second in Asia Pacific Rally Championship and third in NZRC
in 2009.
* Finished second Kiwi on Rally New Zealand twice.