Paddon set for rally season

Hayden Paddon will return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) next year with Hyundai Motorsport and an expanded programme starting with round two – the Rally of Sweden – with John Kennard in the co-driver’s seat. The programme will comprise of at least nine events, which gives Paddon the benefit of more competitive kilometres in his i20 and more of a chance to prove himself against the world’s best drivers. “We are excited to continue working with Hyundai Motorsport,” says Paddon, who is home in New Zealand for a short break after his debut season during which he contested six WRC events, scored championship points at five events and won his first stage in October’s Spanish event. “We learnt a lot and built good partnerships in the team this year. It’s a chance for us to develop and chase better results in 2015. Also, the confirmation of us doing more events will be crucial for us to develop and work closer with the team.” Paddon and Kennard will again race the team’s third i20. With Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo in the two other i20s, the team will have a consistent driver line-up through the season. Team principal Michel Nandan says: “I’m pleased Hayden will continue to be part of the team in 2015 and take part in a greater number of events. He had a great first season, putting in some eye-catching performances and helping the development of our team and car. “He gives excellent technical feedback and works well as part of a close-knit team with the engineers and mechanics. He has already proven himself more than capable of rallying with the best in the world and his personal development was evident as he reduced the gap to his more experienced colleagues. Paddon says: “The first part of 2015 will remain a learning curve as we will be competing in events we have little or no experience of, but this is an exciting challenge and with each event comes greater knowledge of the car and our capabilities. In the mid to later part of the season, we return to the events we did this year. We believe we can be competitive and start pushing to be among the top five. “John and I are looking forward to a very exciting season. With every year that passes, we’re working harder to make the most of the opportunities we have, and 2015 will be a huge year for us to try to consolidate. It would be a dream if we can remain with a manufacturer team to fight for victory when Rally NZ returns in 2016. “We are still relatively new in the WRC at this level. However, with some more time, we feel ready to take the next step and Hyundai will be able to provide us with the best opportunity to make that step. With more rallies and testing, we will be in the best position to show what we can do.” Kennard, adds: “It’s fantastic to have this expanded opportunity to continue our development within a great team we’ve already come to know. With a programme that will almost treble our WRC experience, we are looking forward to making some more exciting progress in 2015.” Paddon returns to Europe mid-January to start testing for the Swedish Rally, which will be the second time they have competed there. Despite not competing in the season opening Rallye Monte Carlo, he and Kennard will still participate in the pre-event recce to build experience.