Hayden Paddon as a near novice in Sweden

Si Hayden Paddon avait déjà été confirmé sur toutes les manches du Championnat du Monde des Rallyes 2015 à partir de la Suède, le Néo-Zélandais de 27 ans ne s’attendait pas à effectuer sa reprise sur la i20 n°8 du Hyundai Shell WRT. Promu suite à the rib injury of Spaniard Dani Sordo, (which should be reinstated for the third round of the season in Mexico at the beginning of March) Paddon will support the Belgian Thierry Neuville on the roads of Rally of Sweden which will start tomorrow.

“I only took part in Rally Sweden once, three years ago. This is a relatively new event for us. I haven't really run much on snow in the past so this promises to be a fun learning curve. It’s a fast event and I like that aspect, but grip levels can be inconsistent, depending on the snowfall before the rally, so we’ll see how it goes. »

Dutchman Kevin Abbring will take Paddon’s place in the third i20 WRC entered by the Korean brand in Sweden within the Hyundai Mobis WRT. The 26-year-old Dutchman will make an early debut, having initially only started its program until later in the season. “We have a lot of preparation work but we are going to use this event as a learning experience and do everything we can to help the team. » indicates the one who will be co-driven by the Briton Sebastian Marshall.