"We will be first on the road, but just how big a handicap that turns out to be will depend on how damp the conditions are. There are quite a few stages that we will only contest once, so we potentially stand to lose quite a lot of time. That said, the fact that we will be first on the road on day one means that we are on top in the championship, and we intend to do all we can to defend that lead! The key will be to find a set-up for our C4 WRC that works with the Pirelli Hard tyre. The set-up we ran in Finland was very good and I had a great feeling with my car. It will be up to us to find ourselves in the same sort of position in New Zealand."

Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT]:

"The roads in New Zealand have a good rhythm to them and they are so smooth that there's no need to worry about damaging the car on rocks. The cambered corners encourage attacking driving but it's important not to position the car on the wrong side of the camber coming into a corner. If that happens then the car ends up sliding wide or perhaps not even making it round at all.

"If the temperatures are cool and it is wet then hard compound tyres will be far from easy. There is no choice in the matter. We will all have to use that compound because those are the rules but I will need to be very careful because it will be hard to get heat into the tyres in those temperatures. It could be like the first stage in Argentina where I took risks in similar conditions and was able to make a very fast time – the alternative is that the risks don't work and the car goes off the road.

"The engine improvements on the new car that we debuted in Germany have made a difference. The tight regulations mean it's not possible to make big steps forward but the engine response has definitely improved. Everything happens a little faster than it did so I hope that will benefit us in New Zealand also. It's important to win rallies for our title challenges but if I can't do that then I have to score as many points as possible."

Dani Sordo [Citroen Total WRT]:

"It's a long way to get there, but I love the New Zealand stages and also the country itself. You can really just focus on your driving without fear of damaging the mechanicals, and that's very nice! This is only my third visit, of course. The pace is so quick that it's essential to have a good feel for the terrain and I still perhaps lack sufficient experience. That said, our performance in Finland suggests that a good result is possible. Indeed, there are a few similarities between the two events, so that will be a big confidence booster in New Zealand.

"I'm expecting it to be very close again, and I intend to approach the three days very cautiously, although I would very much like to target another podium finish."

Chris Atkinson [Subaru WRT]:

"I'm really looking forward to New Zealand but we need to find a little more speed if we're going to compete with the likes of Seb, Mikko and Jari-Matti. We have some good ideas from Finland, so if everything works out, I think we could be strong there. As with last year it's the closest to my home rally this season so I'm looking forward to getting there, meeting all the guys who are coming over from home, and closing the gap to those in front."

Jari-Matti Latvala [BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT]:

"This is a rally that I enjoy and after my disappointment in Germany earlier this month it will help to go to a rally that I like and feel comfortable with. I prefer to go here now than a tough, rocky rally like the Acropolis in Greece for example.

"The countryside is beautiful and the roads are great. The surface is a mix of sand and very smooth gravel which is hard packed so the conditions are good and the cambered roads allow more speed to be carried through the bends. There has been a lot of rain there so an early start position is a benefit. Wet roads mean there will be no loose gravel on top and I should be through the tests before the mud comes to the surface and makes it really slippery for those further down the start order."

Petter Solberg [Subaru WRT]:

"I like New Zealand as it is fast and flowing, and you really have to have the confidence to commit to be quick. At the end of Germany I was feeling really good, it was a definite step forward. But now we are back to gravel so it's totally different, so we work on what we had in Finland and see where we go from there. I hope we can keep the same feeling from Germany and then I think we'll be quite strong."

Henning Solberg [Munchi's Ford WRT: