History 2000s

2007 Rally New Zealand (New Zealand)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2007 Rally New Zealand (New Zealand)

Date: August 31 – September 2, 2007

Start Location: Hamilton, New Zealand

Finish Location: Hamilton, New Zealand

Total Distance: ~1,329.73 km

Competitive Stages: 353.56 km

Surface: Gravel (fast, flowing, cambered)

New Zealand delivered one of the most thrilling battles in WRC history, with Marcus Grönholm and Sébastien Loeb trading stage wins until the final kilometer — Grönholm ultimately claiming victory by just 0.3 seconds.

Route

Whaanga Coast: Coastal tarmac-gravel mix with cliffs, blind crests, and flowing speed sections.
Te Akau: Fast, rolling countryside roads with perfect camber — rewarded high commitment.
Maungatawhiri: Technical inland gravel requiring precise rhythm changes.

Famed for its smooth gravel and sweeping cambered corners, the New Zealand stages are a driver’s dream. Key stages included:

The long stage distances meant small mistakes could have big consequences, but both title contenders ran almost mistake-free all weekend.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen · Ford Focus RS WRC 07
2nd Place
Sébastien Loeb & Daniel Elena · Citroën C4 WRC
3rd Place
Mikko Hirvonen & Jarmo Lehtinen · Ford Focus RS WRC 07

The 0.3-second margin remains one of the closest finishes in rally history, cementing this rally as a modern WRC classic.

Navigation & Challenges

  • High-Speed Precision: Cambered gravel corners encouraged huge commitment, but punished overconfidence.
  • Weather Variability: Dry, sunny conditions favored a flat-out approach with minimal tire wear issues.
  • Split-Second Margins: Co-driver calls had to be perfect — even the smallest hesitation could decide the rally.

This finish went down in WRC history, with Grönholm gaining a critical psychological victory in his 2007 title fight against Loeb.

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