Paddon eyes bright future

Hayden Paddon is looking forward to building on his breakout year in the WRC, which included his first-ever podium, a swag of Top-5 finishes, and a three-year deal that will put him behind the wheel of Hyundai’s new generation i20 WRC car next year.

Hayden and his co-driver John Kennard came second at Rally Italia Sardegna and the Geraldine-born driver rates that, alongside their fourth-place finish in Poland, as the season’s highlights.

“Those two events really helped to secure the three-year contract. It was after we got those results that the discussions started,” says Hayden. “However, I am a little disappointed we didn’t repeat the podium. We had a couple of opportunities, and once you get that first one you always want more!”

Busy schedule

With Paddon now a firm part of the team’s future plans, Hyundai has entered him and Kennard into all 14 events on next year’s WRC calendar – alongside Belgium’s Thierry Neuville and Spain’s Dani Sordo.

Team principal Michel Nandan said all three would be given the same chance to make their mark in the drivers’ championship, with Neuville expected to return as the team’s lead driver.

“We have a strong pool of drivers with a range of experience and strengths. We will not constrain ourselves by fixing specific car line-ups at each rally, instead assembling the best composition for each event to maximise our championship chances,” says Nandan.

Despite having little down-time, Hayden will spend Christmas with his family, before heading back to Europe early in 2016 to begin testing for the first rounds of the season, Rally Monte Carlo in January and Rally Sweden in February.

“It’s always nice to come back and recharge the batteries over summer, but I get bored pretty easily and like getting back into the car as soon as possible,” he says.

New car, new opportunities

Paddon is also hopeful that the launch of Hyundai’s new car will help him to close the gap on the WRC’s frontrunners.

“The goal of the team, as they’ve been designing and building the car, is to make it faster than the Volkswagens, and hopefully it will put us in a position to win some rallies.”

“I think the biggest improvements are in the engine and chassis, which has helped vastly improve the weight distribution,” says Hayden. “It also suits my driving style more than the older car, because it’s more front-axle orientated, which makes it feel more like a front-wheel-drive car.”

While he says it is too early to be realistically chasing the championship, his competitive nature means the chance to beat the likes of defending champion Sebastien Ogier is an extra motivator.

“We’re still the new boys on the block, but I don’t like being beaten by anyone! You have to respect Ogier for everything he’s achieved, and ultimately for us he’s the benchmark.”

WRC CALENDAR 2016

• Rallye Monte-Carlo 21 – 24 January
• Rally Sweden 11 – 14 February
• Guanajuato Rally México 3 – 6 March
• Rally Argentina 21 – 24 April
• Vodafone Rally de Portugal 19 – 22 May
• Rally Italia Sardegna 9 – 12 June
• LOTOS 73rd Rally Poland 30 June – 3 July
• Neste Oil Rally Finland 28 – 31 July
• ADAC Rallye Deutschland 18 – 21 August
• Rally China   Beijing 8 – 11 September
• Tour de Corse Rallye de France 29 September – 2 October
• Rally RACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada 13 – 16 October
• Wales Rally GB 27 – 30 October
• Coates Hire Rally Australia 17 – 20 November