Hyundai without Hayden Paddon in 2019

Hayden Paddon has confirmed he will not compete in rallies in WRC next year. The New Zealander is the big loser of the arrival of Sébastien Loeb within the Hyundai clan, the Alsatian carrying out a partial program with the Korean manufacturer after almost two decades of presence at PSA.

“Alas, there will be no WRC for us in 2019 because there are no opportunities for us. We found ourselves without a steering wheel even though we had been in discussions to keep it for several months. We are obviously very disappointed but at the same time we understand that this can be the reality of professional sport. We can be proud of what we have achieved and we hold our heads high. »

" The rally is in my blood, we must now put in place future projects. We will try to put things in place with our New Zealand team. I remain competitive and motivated. I always want to ride and win. We were told it would be impossible for a New Zealander to be in the WRC. Not only did we achieve this, winning a rally and getting on the podium 8 times which would not have been possible without the help of many people in New Zealand,” commented Hayden Paddon.

C’est la fin d’un partenariat de longue date avec Hyundai qui avait débuté en 2014 lorsque le Néo-Zélandais a disputé plusieurs épreuves au volant de l’ancienne version de la i20 WRC.