With injured champion Sebastian Loeb a non-starter, heavy rain and Valentino Rossi have become the big talking points of the New Zealand round of the World Rally Championship this weekend.
Rain is forecast from early Friday when the rally begins, and is unlikely to let up before the finish on Sunday.
Loeb, who hasn't started a rally since breaking his arm in a mountain bike accident in September, was guaranteed the world crown when his nearest rival Marcus Gronholm crashed out in Australia two weeks ago.
But still at stake is the manufacturers championship where Ford are close to denying Citroen the drivers-manufacturers double. Mikko Hirvonen's maiden win in Australia earned Ford 10 points and with Marcus Gronholm also in the money in Perth, Ford only needs three points to secure the title.
With Loeb sidelined Citroen has again nominated Xevi Pons and Dani Sordo as points scorers for the event. Meanwhile, the Subaru team, spearheaded by Petter Solberg and Australian Chris Atkinson are hoping to break their 14-race duck and salvage something from a wretched season which showed signs of an upswing in Perth before both crashed out.
The sideshow to the rally will be the appearance of Italian motorcycling hero Rossi who has entered as a privateer in a borrowed Subaru Impreza and admits he is in it for fun. "I want to understand how the car works and my potential in rallying and make the finish,"he told reporters on arrival. "But I want to have fun and enjoy myself."
It will be the 27-year-old Yamaha rider's second appearance in the World Rally Championship - he competed in Britain in 2002 in a Peugeot 205 but failed to progress beyond the first day.
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