Defending World Champion Petter Solberg came out on top of what proved to
be a nailbiting battle in the fourth round of the 2004 World Championship.
In an event that saw six leadership changes, including two during the
incident-packed final day, the Subaru driver pipped three-times Rally New
Zealand winner Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot-Michelin) by the slender margin of
5.9 seconds. Ford-Michelin's Markko Märtin claimed 3rd place. The result
leaves four drivers (Märtin, Sébastien Loeb, Grönholm and Solberg) covered
by just three points in the Drivers' championship, while Michelin's
partners Ford (1st), Citroën (2nd) and Peugeot (3rd) continue to top the
Manufacturers' classification.

Petter Solberg collected his first win of the 2004 season in New Zealand
after a fiercely-fought weekend that produced no fewer than six changes of
leader. The Subaru driver initially took first place from Ford-Michelin's
Markko Märtin after the second of Thursday evening's two runs through the
short Manukau super-special but he was then helpless when Marcus Grönholm
(Peugeot-Michelin) turned on the speed as the field headed for the classic
Kiwi rally territory north of Auckland.

[...]

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