WRC – Hayden Paddon stays with Hyundai in 2015

Hayden Paddon will retain the colors of Hyundai Motorsport in 2015 alongside Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville. The New Zealander will be committed at least out of nine rallys and will begin its season with the Swedish Rally (from February 12 to 15), after having participated in the reconnaissance of the Monte-Carlo Rally (from January 21 to 25). “I learned a lot and built strong relationships on this team this year. It was an obvious choice to develop this and aim for better results in 2015”, commented Hayden Paddon.

His program is therefore extensive since the 27-year-old driver had started six events this year, with one sixth place at Rally Australia and a first scratch achieved at the Rally of Spain. “Confirmation of the extension of my program is essential in my development and in my relations with the team”, added the New Zealander. “The first part of the season will remain focused on learning because we will compete in events in which we do not have much experience. But we should be very competitive and attack for top five finishes in the events held this year. »

Michel Nandan, Team Principal of Hyundai Motorsport, discusses the reasons which motivated this extension. “He had a very good first season with us, delivering surprising performances and helping us a lot with the development of the team and the car. He provides excellent technical feedback and gets along very well with engineers and mechanics. He proved he could compete among the best rally drivers in the world. He has clearly improved by closing the gap on the competition. »