AUCKLAND, April 13: Finn Marcus Gronholm and Briton Richard Burns made it a Peugeot one-two in the fourth race of this year’s world championships in New Zealand on Sunday.

Gronholm led virtually from start to finish and, but for rolling his car during stage 13 north of Auckland on Saturday, had a drama-free three days.

On Sunday he and world championship leader Burns swapped first and second in the stages run around the Hauraki Plains 100km south east of Auckland but there were only seconds in it, meaning Gronholm maintained his lead of more than a minute.

World champion Gronholm, who also won here last year, began the third day with a lead of 60 seconds over Burns and increased it to 68.7 at the ceremonial finish at Manukau, 10km south of Auckland city.

In third place was Petter Solberg of Norway, driving a Subaru. He finished the 22nd and last stage, the second forest run at Fyfe, two minutes 09 seconds behind Gronholm.

There were then big gaps to Frenchman Sebastian Loeb (Citroen) and Finn Toni Gardemeister (Skoda).

Tommi Makinen finished seventh and was left rueing the five-minute penalty he received from rally stewards on Saturday for ignoring a policeman who had clocked the Finn travelling at 49kph above the urban speed limit between rally stages.

Result: 1. Marcus Gronholm (Finland, Peugeot) 3:45:21; 2. Richard Burns (Britain, Peugeot) +1 minute 08 seconds; 3. Petter Solberg (Finland, Subaru) +2:09; 4. Sebastian Loeb (France, Citroen) +4:15; 5. Toni Gardemeister (Finland, Skoda) +8:13; 6. Alister McRae (Britain, Mitsubishi) +9:14; 7.Tommi Makinen (Finland, Subaru) +9:50; 8. Didier Auriol (France, Skoda) +10:18; 9.Francois Duval (France, Ford) +11:11; 10.Mikko Hirvonen (Finland, Ford) +13:42.

Drivers’ championship standings (after four races): 1. Burns 26 points; 2. Gronholm 20; 3 equal. Loeb 17, 3 equal. Colin McRae 17; 5. Carlos Sainz 16; 6. Markko Martin 13; 7. Makinen 11; 8. Solberg 9; 9. Duval 8; 10. Gardemeister 7.—Reuters