Rally Italy Sardinia organisers were almost left red-faced for not having a New Zealand flag on hand following Hayden Paddon historic second-placing.

The opening round of the New Zealand Rally Championship takes to the roads up north for the International Rally of Whangarei on April 17-19.

New Zealand's top rallying pair of Hayden Paddon and John Kennard have swapped their winter woolies for board shorts and T-shirts this weekend for round three of the World Rally Championship.

New Zealand rally driver Emma Gilmour has been ranked as the world's top female driver, although by her own admission, 2014 wasn't her finest year.

Earlier that day, Evans' Porsche clocked 216.385 miles per hour (348km/h) to break the national record by almost 20mph.