Paddon packs punch in Finland

On the back of two dominant wins in the New Zealand Rally Championship, Hayden Paddon has burst back on to the world rally scene.

The PlaceMakers-sponsored driver claimed a podium finish in the WRC2 category in Finland, where he was the fastest S2000 competitor over the three-day event.

“It’s always a great feeling to finish on the podium in Finland, the spiritual home of rallying

Piloting his naturally aspirated Skoda Fabia S2000 in a 20-strong field of predominantly turbo-charged vehicles, the Kiwi rally star showcased his class to clinch third place, just under two minutes behind former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica (Poland) in second, with Jari Ketomaa of Finland out in front.

“It’s always a great feeling to finish on the podium in Finland, the spiritual home of rallying,” said Paddon. “This gets our 2013 WRC campaign off to a great start.”

Despite hitting a suspension-breaking rock on the penultimate stage of Day 2, Saturday’s final eight stages were “trouble-free” for Paddon, who notched up some very competitive times.

“We’re happy with the result, especially considering how long it’s been since we were last in the Skoda on gravel,” said Paddon, who hadn’t competed in the car for eight months.

“There’s still more speed to come. We’re not at 100% yet – that last 5% will come with more seat time and experience.

“Our next event is in Germany [22-25 August]. We hope to lift things another notch and climb further up the podium.”