Polish driver Leszek Kuzaj was also on his first outing in New Zealand, spending much of the event learning. He slipped off the road trying to pass West on leg two and after contesting the tricky Whaanga Coast for experience, he opted to withdraw from the rally.

Following big accidents in both previous rallies in Japan and Australia, Aki Teiskonen's Subaru was not in a healthy enough state to tackle Rally New Zealand and the Finn chose to retire before the start of SS1.