Intro:

Sebastien Loeb snatched the lead of the Rally New Zealand by winning Friday's (June 22) final stage on day one.

Script:

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Loeb leads the Rally of New Zealand by four seconds from Citroen teammate Mikko Hirvonen, snatching the advantage on the final stage of Friday's first day.

Loeb won the third, fourth, fifth and seventh stages to trail Hirvonen by only 4.6 seconds going into the final stage of the day. He then won that 32.13-kilometre stage to claim the overall lead and to set up a showdown with Hirvonen on Saturday's final day.

Hirvonen led from the second to the seventh of eight stages contested on the opening day of the 15-stage rally, but never by more than 7.6 seconds.

The rally now seems to be a straight battle between Loeb and Hirvonen.

Russia's Evgeny Novikov is third, one minute and 31 seconds off the lead, and Petter Solberg is fourth, a further eight seconds back.

Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala was the fastest qualifier on Thursday and won the opening stage from Hirvonen and Loeb.

But the Finn's chances of repeating his 2010 win in New Zealand evaporated when his Ford Fiesta became entangled in a fence as he cut a corner on the seventh stage.

Latvala ended the first day in ninth place, four minutes, 51 seconds behind Loeb.