Citroen number two driver, Daniel Sordo will be out to put his recent run of misfo💟rtune behind him in New Zealand this coming weekend, the eleventh roun🦂d in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

Sordo has had to retire from the last t🍸wo events in succession due to engine problems and on both occasions it cost him and the team good points, as he was well up the orderꦺ.

"It is never easy to retire when you're ꦺbattling for a place on the podium [as I was on the Rallye Deutschland - the most recent event]," he reflected.

"I had succeeded in finding a good, safe pace that put us aheaܫd of Marcus Gronholm and just behind Sebastien [Loeb - my team-mate].

"I𝓡 had an excellent feeling with the Citroen C4 WRC and I probably had a good chance of fighting for a top-three🐼 finish, but our weekend came to a halt on SS6.

"That's motor sport, thou😼gh; you've just got to accept it. I am still confident for the rest of the year, however. Our spell of ill-luck is sure to come to an end some time," he added.

Sordo meanwhile made his debut on the Rally NZ ♉last🐻 year and his first impressions of the event and the stages were definitely good.

"I remember New Zealand being very green with some fantastic landscapes. I also reꦰcall the stages being challenging an🅷d enjoyable," he continued.

"I have fond memories of last year's event but we still face a real challenge this time round. I intend to play it cautiously in o꧑rder to get more kilometres under my belt and add to my experience here."

Asked what sort of result he will be aiming for in Hamilton, he noted that he♔ would be more than happy with fifth again.

"I clearly don't have the necessary hindsight to fully appreciate all the niceties of this event," he explained. "I d🎐on't think it will be easy to match the fastest gravel drivers.

"I don't have the experience necessary to attack freely on this sort of terrain. I will try to aim for a top🐼 five finish however, which would be an excellent result for me," he concluded.