Newly crowned world champion Marcus Gronholm won the Rally of New Zealand on Sunday.

The Finn, whose second world title was assured when Britain's Richard Burns crashed out of the race on Saturday, pipped compatriot and Peugeot team-mate Harri Rovanpera.

It has been a good fight Marcus Gronholm

Tommi Makinen, also of Finland, finished third in a Subaru Impreza, with Spaniard Carlos Sainz's Ford Focus fourth.

"Of course I'm very happy about the championship," Gronholm said.

"It is never nice when it happens because your team-mate (Richard Burns) crashes out so I wanted to win and do it myself.

"We have to look at the whole season and it has been a good one. It has been a good fight."

Gronholm's co-driver Timo Rautiainen added: "It's quite a relief that the championship battle is over at last.

"But we have to worry about the final two rounds of the season now -- and already think about next year. I think we are going to have a hard fight in 2003."

Peugeot's seventh one-two of the season was another cause for celebration for the French firm, which sealed its third constructors' title on Saturday.

Gronholm has sealed the title, his second in two years after winning in 2000, with the Australian and British rallies yet to come.

Meanwhile. two television crew members injured after being struck by a competing car while filming the rally are to be released from hospital in the next two days, organisers said on Sunday.

Three individuals were injured after Bulgarian driver Dimitar Iliev crashed into them on Saturday after leaving the road on the stage 14.