Rally New Zealand

The Rally New Zealand is an annual rally race in New Zealand. It was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977. The race is famous for its fast flowing gravel roads which carry the competitors through forests and alongside the New Zealand coastline.

It was first held in Taupō in 1969, and was subsequently staged in Canterbury, before moving back to the North Island in 1971. Auckland has hosted the majority of Rally New Zealand events. From 2006 to 2008 the event was based in Hamilton, with the service park, parc ferme and the super special stage all being located at the Mystery Creek Events Centre. In 2010 it returned to Auckland.

The WRC teams voted Propecia Rally New Zealand "Rally of the Year" in 2001. The 2007 Rally New Zealand ended with the closest-ever finish in the history of the World Rally Championship. After over 350 competitive kilometres, only 0.3 seconds separated the winner Marcus Grönholm and second-placed Sébastien Loeb.

No WRC event was held between 2013 and 2021. The event was planned to be held on the 2020 calendar, but was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Rally New Zealand returned after a 10 year hiatus in 2022, with Auckland as the main focus of the event. Kalle Rovanpera won the event, and as the event hasn't returned to the WRC Calendar since, Rovanpera remains the most recent winner of the event.

Past winners

Season	Driver	Co-driver	Car	Event report	*1969**	*1970**	*1971**	*1972**	*1973**	*1974**	*1975**	*1976**	1977	*1978**	1979	1980	1981*	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	*1996**	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	*2009**	2010	*2011**	2012	*2013
–
2016**	*2017**	*2018**	2020	*2021**	2022	*2023
–
Present**
NZL Grady Thompson	Rick Rimmer	Holden Monaro
NZL Paul Adams	Don Fenwick	BMW 2002
AUS Bruce Hodgson	Mike Mitchell	Ford Cortina–Lotus
GBR Andrew Cowan	Jim Scott	BLMC Mini 1275 GT
FIN Hannu Mikkola	Jim Porter	Ford Escort RS1600
Not held
NZL Mike Marshall	Arthur McWatt	Ford Escort RS1800
GBR Andrew Cowan	Jim Scott	Hillman Avenger
ITA Fulvio Bacchelli	Francesco Rossetti	Fiat 131 Abarth
GBR Russell Brookes	Chris Porter	Ford Escort RS1800
FIN Hannu Mikkola	Arne Hertz	Ford Escort RS1800
FIN Timo Salonen	Seppo Harjanne	Datsun 160J
NZL Jim Donald	Kevin Lancaster	Ford Escort RS
SWE Björn Waldegård	Hans Thorszelius	Toyota Celica
GER Walter Röhrl	Christian Geistdörfer	Lancia 037 Rally
SWE Stig Blomqvist	Bjorn Cederberg	Audi Quattro
FIN Timo Salonen	Seppo Harjanne	Peugeot 205 T16 E2
FIN Juha Kankkunen	Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 T16 E2
AUT Franz Wittman	Jorg Pattermann	Lancia Delta 4WD
AUT Josef Haider	Ferdinand Hinterleitner	Opel Kadett GSi 16V
SWE Ingvar Carlsson	Per Carlsson	Mazda 323 4WD
ESP Carlos Sainz	Luis Moya	Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
ESP Carlos Sainz	Luis Moya	Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
ESP Carlos Sainz	Luis Moya	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
SCO Colin McRae	Derek Ringer	Subaru Legacy RS
SCO Colin McRae	Derek Ringer	Subaru Impreza 555
SCO Colin McRae	Derek Ringer	Subaru Impreza 555
GBR Richard Burns	Robert Reid	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III
SWE Kenneth Eriksson	Staffan Parmander	Subaru Impreza WRC 97
ESP Carlos Sainz	Luis Moya	Toyota Corolla WRC
FINTommi Makinen	Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI
FIN Marcus Grönholm	Timo Rautiainen	Peugeot 206 WRC
GBR Richard Burns	Robert Reid	Subaru Impreza WRC 2001	Report
FIN Marcus Grönholm	Timo Rautiainen	Peugeot 206 WRC	Report
FIN Marcus Grönholm	Timo Rautiainen	Peugeot 206 WRC	Report
NOR Petter Solberg	Phil Mills	Subaru Impreza WRC 2004	Report
FRA Sébastien Loeb	Daniel Elena	Citroën Xsara WRC	Report
FIN Marcus Grönholm	Timo Rautiainen	Ford Focus RS WRC 06	Report
FIN Marcus Grönholm	Timo Rautiainen	Ford Focus RS WRC 07	Report
FRA Sébastien Loeb	Daniel Elena	Citroën C4 WRC	Report
Not held
FIN Jari-Matti Latvala	Miikka Anttila	Ford Focus RS WRC 09	Report
NZL Hayden Paddon	John Kennard	Subaru Impreza WRX
FRA Sébastien Loeb	Daniel Elena	Citroën DS3 WRC	Report
Not held
NZL Hayden Paddon	John Kennard	Hyundai i20 AP4
NZL Hayden Paddon	Malcolm Read	Hyundai i20 AP4
Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
Not held
FIN Kalle Rovanperä	Jonne Halttunen	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	Report
Not held

'**''''' denotes years when Rally New Zealand was not part of the World Rally Championship*

Multiple winners

Number	Driver	Years
5	Finland Marcus Grönholm	2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007
4	Spain Carlos Sainz	1990, 1991, 1992, 1998
3	France Sébastien Loeb	2005, 2008, 2012
Great Britain Colin McRae	1993, 1994, 1995
New Zealand Hayden Paddon	2011, 2017, 2018
2	Great Britain Andrew Cowan	1972, 1976
Finland Hannu Mikkola	1973, 1979
Finland Timo Salonen	1980, 1985
Great Britain Richard Burns	1996, 2001

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