# 2007 Rally New Zealand

The 2007 Rally New Zealand (37th Propecia Rally New Zealand), 11th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, was run on 31 August to 2 September. After a tight battle for three days, Marcus Grönholm beat Sébastien Loeb for the win by 0.3 seconds, making it the second-closest finish in WRC history (after 2011 Jordan Rally's 0.2s). This was the closest finish in the history of the World Rally Championship. The previous record was held by the 1998 Rally de Portugal, in which Colin McRae took the win 2.1 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz.

## Results

| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Difference | Points |
| WRC |||||||
| 1. | Marcus Grönholm | Timo Rautiainen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:52:53.9 | 0.0 | 10 |
| 2. | Sébastien Loeb | Daniel Elena | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:52:54.2 | 0.3 | 8 |
| 3. | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | 3:54:36.7 | 1:42.8 | 6 |
| 4. | Chris Atkinson | Stéphane Prévot | Subaru Impreza WRC 07 | 3:55:26.2 | 2:32.3 | 5 |
| 5. | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ole Kristian Unnerud | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | 3:55:30.8 | 2:36.9 | 4 |
| 6. | Daniel Sordo | Marc Marti | Citroën C4 WRC | 3:56:35.9 | 3:42.0 | 3 |
| 7. | Petter Solberg | Phil Mills | Subaru Impreza WRC 07 | 3:56:48.6 | 3:54.7 | 2 |
| 8. | Urmo Aava | Kuldar Sikk | Mitsubishi Lancer WR05 | 4:02:10.2 | 9:16.3 | 1 |
| PCWRC |||||||
| 1. (13.) | Toshi Arai | Tony Sircombe | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4:13:35.8 | 0.0 | 10 |
| 2. (14.) | Niall McShea | Gordon Noble | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4:13:38.4 | 2.6 | 8 |
| 3. (15.) | Richard Mason | Sara Randall | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | 4:14:46.0 | 1:10.2 | 6 |
| 4. (16.) | Gabriel Pozzo | Daniel Stillo | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 | 4:14:48.9 | 1:13.1 | 5 |
| 5. (17.) | Fumio Nutahara | Daniel Barritt | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 | 4:14:55.7 | 1:19.9 | 4 |
| 6. (18.) | Armindo Araujo | Miguel Ramalho | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 | 4:15:16.0 | 1:40.2 | 3 |
| 7. (19.) | Juho Hänninen | Mikko Markkula | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 | 4:15:46.9 | 2:11.1 | 2 |
| 8. (22.) | Martin Rauam | Kristo Kraag | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 | 4:16:15.2 | 2:39.4 | 1 |

## Special Stages

All dates and times are NZST (UTC+12).
| Leg | Stage | Time | Name | Length | Winner | Time | Avg. spd. | Rally leader |
| 1 (31 Aug) | SS1 | 09:18 | Pirongia West 1 | 18.30 km | M. Grönholm | 13:40.5 | 80.29 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 1 (31 Aug) | SS2 | 10:21 | Waitomo 1 | 43.88 km | M. Grönholm | 28:47.8 | 91.43 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 1 (31 Aug) | SS3 | 14:07 | Pirongia West 2 | 18.30 km | S. Loeb | 13:32.4 | 81.09 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 1 (31 Aug) | SS4 | 15:10 | Waitomo 2 | 43.88 km | S. Loeb | 28:20.4 | 92.9 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 1 (31 Aug) | SS5 | 17:03 | Mystery Creek 1 | 3.14 km | C. Atkinson | 2:56.2 | 64.15 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS6 | 09:03 | Port Waikato | 17.21 km | S. Loeb | 9:33.2 | 108.09 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS7 | 09:41 | Possum | 13.88 km | M. Grönholm | 10:38.2 | 78.3 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS8 | 10:19 | Franklin | 31.57 km | S. Loeb | 21:15.7 | 89.09 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS9 | 12:32 | Mystery Creek 2 | 3.14 km | M. Grönholm | 2:54.7 | 64.71 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS10 | 14:58 | Te Akau South | 31.92 km | S. Loeb | 18:25.0 | 103.99 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 2 (1 Sep) | SS11 | 15:41 | Te Akau North | 32.36 km | S. Loeb | 16:59.8 | 114.23 km/h | S. Loeb |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS12 | 09:03 | Maungatawhiri 1 | 5.34 km | M. Grönholm | 2:41.3 | 119.18 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS13 | 09:31 | Te Hutewai 1 | 11.22 km | S. Loeb | 7:54.3 | 85.16 km/h | S. Loeb |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS14 | 09:59 | Whaanga Coast 1 | 29.81 km | S. Loeb | 21:00.8 | 85.12 km/h | S. Loeb |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS15 | 11:38 | Maungatawhiri 2 | 5.34 km | M. Grönholm | 2:39.7 | 120.38 km/h | S. Loeb |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS16 | 12:06 | Te Hutewai 2 | 11.22 km | M. Grönholm | 7:43.0 | 87.24 km/h | S. Loeb |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS17 | 12:34 | Whaanga Coast 2 | 29.81 km | M. Grönholm | 20:32.1 | 87.1 km/h | M. Grönholm |
| 3 (2 Sep) | SS18 | 14:18 | Mystery Creek 3 | 3.14 km | S. Loeb | 2:52.5 | 65.53 km/h | M. Grönholm |

## Championship standings after the event
### Drivers' championship

| Pos | Driver | MON | SWE | NOR | MEX | POR | ARG | ITA | GRC | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | IRL | GBR | Pts |
| 1 | Marcus Grönholm | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | 90 |
| 2 | Sébastien Loeb | 1 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 80 |
| 3 | Mikko Hirvonen | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | 69 |
| 4 | Dani Sordo | 2 | 12 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 24 | Ret | Ret | 6 | | | | | | 31 |
| 4 | Petter Solberg | 6 | Ret | 4 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 5 | 3 | Ret | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 31 |
| 6 | Henning Solberg | 14 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 9 | | | | | | 28 |
| 7 | Chris Atkinson | 4 | 8 | 19 | 5 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 4 | | | | | | 25 |
| 8 | Jari-Matti Latvala | Ret | Ret | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 8 | 5 | | | | | | 17 |
| 9 | Toni Gardemeister | 7 | 6 | Ret | | DSQ | | 6 | | | 7 | | | | | | | 10 |
| 10 | Daniel Carlsson | | 5 | 7 | | 6 | | Ret | | | | | | | | | | 9 |
| 10 | Manfred Stohl | 10 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 12 | | | | | | 9 |
| 12 | François Duval | | | | | | | | Ret | | 2 | | | | | | | 8 |
| 12 | Jan Kopecký | 8 | 10 | 8 | | 22 | | Ret | 7 | Ret | 5 | | | | | | | 8 |
| 14 | Gigi Galli | | 13 | 6 | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 15 | Xavier Pons | 25 | Ret | 16 | | | | | | 6 | 18 | Ret | | | | | | 3 |
| 15 | Urmo Aava | | | 28 | | 15 | | 13 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 8 | | | | | | 3 |
| 17 | Matthew Wilson | 12 | Ret | 26 | 8 | 12 | 30 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | | | | | | 1 |
| 17 | Juho Hänninen | | DSQ | 17 | | | 11 | 8 | Ret | Ret | | 19 | | | | | | 1 |
| 17 | Mads Østberg | | 9 | 37 | | Ret | | Ret | | 8 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Pos | Driver | MON | SWE | NOR | MEX | POR | ARG | ITA | GRC | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | IRL | GBR | Pts |
Key :
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Black | Excluded (EX) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Withdrew entry from the event (WD) |

### Manufacturers' championship

| Rank | Manufacturer | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Event | Total points |
| Rank | Manufacturer | MON | SWE | NOR | MEX | POR | ARG | ITA | GRC | FIN | GER | NZL | ESP | FRA | JPN | IRL | GBR | Total points |
| 1 | BP Ford World Rally Team | 10 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | 159 |
| 2 | Citroën Total World Rally Team | 18 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | 113 |
| 3 | Subaru World Rally Team | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | 60 |
| 4 | Stobart VK M-Sport Ford | 1 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | 55 |
| 5 | OMV Kronos | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 35 |
| 6 | Munchi's Ford World Rally Team | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |