"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:
"I'm really looking forward to New Zealand as, for me, it will be great to be back on gravel. The stages are fast and very flowing and that's exactly the conditions I like best; it lets me get a good feeling with the car and helps with my confidence. I've never had an especially good result there before but we have made some good improvements on gravel throughout the year so maybe this time we can push for a good finish and to get some more points for the championship."
Matthew Wilson [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"This is probably my favourite event so I'm really looking forward to it and getting back on gravel after Germany. We are also nominated to score points on what is one of my stronger events so hopefully we can help the Stobart team out in New Zealand. I like the nature of the stages and the camber of the corners plus the high speeds which give the event a Finland sort of feel. I have heard reports of quite bad weather recently in Hamilton so it will be interesting to see how the stages hold up once we are out there."
Francois Duval [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"I haven't competed in New Zealand for two years so it will be difficult going back there with some new stages and knowing most of the other competitors have the advantage of experience on the roads. But I know that the Ford Focus is a fantastic car on gravel and that is a good feeling for me; I am confident that I will be able to a find a comfortable setting with it quite soon. It is also a benefit to have spent time in the car just last week. My plan for the rally is firstly to try and finish in the points and if the confidence is good then maybe I will be able to increase the speed."
Federico Villagra [Munchi's Ford WRT:
"For me New Zealand is a rally I like very much but it can also be very tricky especially if the conditions are wet. We had a good result here last year and also in 2005 when I was in the PWRC. The stages are very much like Finland only with much less jumps so for me this is very enjoyable. Having Henning in the team is a big help because he has a lot of experience especially on fast gravel. He has already scored some good points for the Munchi's team this year as we try and stay ahead of
Suzuki in the championship. I have been racing in Argentina and we won the rally on the weekend so things are feeling pretty good with my driving at the moment."
Toni Gardemeister [Suzuki WRT]:
"This rally is great fun to drive: it's like nowhere else in the world. It's been a long time since I drove in New Zealand and most of the stages will be new to me, but I'm looking forward to them and I think they should suit us well. I've always had a good feeling in New Zealand and if things go well we have a decent chance of a good result. The most important thing is that our SX4 WRC seems very reliable now, so if we stay out of trouble again we can hope to score some points. Certain parts of Rally New Zealand are a little bit like Finland, but you don't need so much power: it's more a question of carrying the momentum through all the bends and finding a good rhythm."
Per-Gunnar Andersson [Suzuki WRT]:
"There's going to be a lot for me to take on board, but from what I remember of the Rally New Zealand I liked it very much," said P-G. "It's the sort of place where you can't force a car: you have to drive naturally and let the rhythm come to you. In that respect, it's a little bit similar to Sweden. I'm going to try not to make any mistakes, and hopefully we should have a good result to show for our efforts."
Production WRC:
