By BOB PEARCE
Carlos Sainz will be hoping he has put his problems behind him before Rally New Zealand roars into action in the west Waikato today.
The veteran former world champion, four times a winner of this round of the championship, slid wide in the shakedown near Helensville yesterday and his Ford Focus ended up in a ditch.
The car was extricated with superficial damage and, after being checked by the team, completed several more runs without incident.
The Spaniard has won one round this year, but his future with the Ford team is in doubt as they trim costs. Their other former world champion, Colin McRae, has already signed for Citroen for next season.
"Ford are still deciding what they will do," Sainz said yesterday. "Nothing much has changed in recent times.
"It would be nice to continue with the team. If not, I have to look for something and I have been looking for other opportunities."
Last year's Rally New Zealand winner and current world champion, Richard Burns, is philosophical about his chances of retaining his title now that team-mate Marcus Gronholm has a 23-point lead with three rounds to go.
"The championship is not so much slipping away but being dragged away by Marcus," he said. "He's had a fantastic season."
The field of 81 will start the first stage at Te Akau North at 8.58am and complete five other stages around Raglan before returning to the Manukau Superspecial for two stages from 7pm.
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