Paddon wins Rally Queensland after strong European campaign

Hayden Paddon has taken out Rally Queensland, round 3 of the Australian Rally Championship. It caps off a busy international schedule in Europe.

The win sees Paddon strengthen his position in the ARC standings. It also proves his pace on challenging Australian gravel roads.

Paddon said afterwards: “Really happy to get the win here in Queensland.

“It was a great event, and the team delivered a car that gave us the confidence to push. 

“This championship is really competitive so every rally is a battle and this was no different.”

At the recent tarmac Rally Ypres in Belgium, Paddon delivered a superb drive to finish second overall. Earlier in the month, at the Donegal International Rally, Paddon was among the front-runners and well in contention for a podium finish before retiring on Day 2. Despite the setback, the event offered valuable experience on some very tough roads.

“It was great to be back on European tarmac, and I’m really proud of what we achieved,” said Paddon. “Ypres especially was a highlight. It’s a technical rally with no margin for error, so to come away with second was a great result. 

“Ireland was going really well too until our retirement, but that’s rallying. We banked a lot of learning from both.

“It’s been a packed calendar lately, but I’m really happy with how the team’s performing,” he added.

Hyundai New Zealand, long-time supporters of Paddon, says it is thrilled with the recent run of results, particularly on the global stage.

Leighton Agnew, General Manager Sales of Hyundai New Zealand said: “Hayden continues to fly the New Zealand flag with distinction, whether it’s Europe, Australia or here at home. 

“We’re incredibly proud to support a driver and team that consistently competes at the highest level.”