Full speed ahead!

Hayden Paddon plans to take it to the next level in 2014.

With PlaceMakers backing him for a fourth consecutive year, Hayden Paddon is chomping at the bit to put all the lessons learned from 2013 into action for a successful 2014 campaign.

“It was a tumultuous year,” says Hayden. “The highs included winning my third New Zealand Rally Championship, some decent WRC2 podium finishes and my first taste competing in a WRC car at Rally de Espana.

“While we didn’t get to contend as many international rallies as we would have liked, we set some impressive stage times and learned a lot in our WRC trial.”

Hayden, who finished eighth at Rally de Espana in the Quatar M-Sport World Rally Team’s Ford Fiesta, said it was a dream come true to compete at the level he’s been striving to reach ever since he got behind the wheel of his father’s rally car when he was 14 years old. However, one shot is not enough for the competitive driver.

“I don’t want to be in a WRC car for just one event; this is what I want to make my career out of,” says the Kiwi, who started racing karts since the age of six.

While Hayden’s performance has been impressive since his first fully sponsored drive in the Production World Championship in 2010, he says the WRC is a big step up and a factory team seat is a highly sought-after prize.

“WRC is a different level altogether,” he says. “Not only are the cars faster but the competition is better, the commitment is deeper and the margin of error is much less.”

Hayden admits he didn’t adapt quickly enough to the suspension of the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team’s Ford Fiesta RS, but the pace was not a deterrent – in fact, he would have liked more!

Exactly what shape Hayden and John’s new season will take is under wraps until the end of February – but you can be sure it will unfold at breakneck speed and that PlaceMakers will be backing them all the way.

“We’re thrilled to have PlaceMakers on board as one of our three sponsors this year,” says Hayden. “They are now officially my longest-standing sponsor and it’s an honour to have such a great Kiwi company behind us.”