Five-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi made a cautious start to his Rally New Zealand adventure, finishing day one in 24th position.
The Italian is competing in the penultimate round of the 2006 World Rally Championship 'just for fun' but, conscious of his early exit in his only previous WRC appearance - at the 2002 Rally of Great Britain - carefully took his time to understand how his Subaru would handle the slick gravel roads.
Rossi was 33rd fastest on stage one (SS1) and 28th fastest on SS2 - but both sections were extremely muddy and wet, replicating the conditions that caught The Doctor out after just 17 kilometres of the Welsh forest in 2002.
However, as conditions dried out, Rossi began to feel more at home in his privately entered 2005-spec Impreza WRC and on the repeat runs through Pirongia and Te Koraha he was 20th quickest in both stages, before finishing the day off with a bit of a flourish - setting the 13th best time in the Mystery Creek 'super special'.
That left him 24th overall and almost 11 minutes behind rally leader Marcus Gronholm at the end of day one, but Valentino insisted that he hasn't been watching the times:
"I am very glad we had the second loop, I enjoyed it very much," he said. "I am not at all disappointed about my times because I am not watching them. We want to do the whole rally. When Carlo [Cassina - my co-driver] and I started SS1 we just said: 'We start and we look', but for sure we are being cautious.
"My only problem was a broken moose which created a big vibration at the front left wheel in the last few kilometres of the [second run through] long stage [SS4]. Still I can say that I am enjoying myself."
Rossi's co-driver, Carlo Cassina, echoed those thoughts, claiming that their main priority is to do all 17 stages and get to the finish: "Valentino wants to finish the rally, covering the greatest number of kilometres possible to gather experience on the loose. His final position at the finish is less important than getting to know and exploiting his car to the full."
Rossi is one of 11 drivers competing in Rally New Zealand with a top spec 'WRC car'.
