MINI WRC Team’s Dani Sordo has claimed the fastest stage time on the Auckland Domain super special, stage 18 of Brother Rally New Zealand.
The Spaniard finished the 2.05-kilometre speed test 1.4s faster than M-Sport Ford driver Evgeny Novikov who posted the second fastest time. Ford World Rally Team’s Petter Solberg was third quickest, 1.8s adrift of pace-setter Sordo.
At the top of the leaderboard, Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb has extended his lead over team-mate Mikko Hirvonen to 17.4s. Elsewhere, Neuville is now only 16.3s from snatching fifth place from Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Ott Tanak.
Ford’s Petter Solberg remains third, 1m32.6s behind rally leader Loeb.
The WRC crews will now return to Auckland Harbour for the midday service before returning north of the rally base to contest the event’s closing four stages.