John Kennard will not return to co-drive Paddon

John Kennard ne reviendra pas copiloter Hayden Paddon sur sa Hyundai i20 WRC. The 55-year-old New Zealander was only expected to give way to Sebastian Marshall from Rally of Germany (August 17-20), but the Briton had to replace him earlier than expected due to a hip injury.

His state of health did not allow him to be ready for the Sardinia Rally (June 8-11), so the decision was made to place John Kennard directly full-time.

“Unfortunately, the condition of my hip will not allow me to tackle the rough dirt stages of Sardinia and, although I would have loved to end my career with Hayden in Poland and Finland, it would have made no sense, admits John Kennard. We've had a terrible start to the season (Hayden Paddon and John Kennard were involved in a fatal accident involving a misplaced spectator at the Monte-Carlo Rally) and the most important thing is to take the positive and move forward. before in the second part of the season. »

“It’s not an easy decision, but we all feel it’s the best thing to do for the future. Although he will no longer be in the car, John will continue to play an active role in the WRC program.", adds Hayden Paddon.