Hayden Paddon

[mknight]

No, he and M-Sport said in interviews afterwards that the reason for doing the test in his event car was because the deal to drive came together quite late to plan for the rally, and they just didn't have another car ready/available for testing or as a replacement. Time was the limitation in this case not money.

M-Sport said that even if they did have another car at the workshop ready to go it would take 3.5 days for them to get it there and it wouldn't arrive in time. Millener sounded almost as frustrated as Paddon that they couldn't repair or replace the car in time for the rally.

That is the part that I find extremely hard to believe.... taking 3,5 days to get a car from GB to Finland if money is almost not a problem. Heck just driving it by truck takes some 30 hours and all you need is a truck and 2 drivers.

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I don't know, you're talking like he is some new driver who has to do a rally to prove his speed but that isn't the case. They already know he is fast.

While a good result in Finland obviously would have helped his status, even with the testing accident he has put the message out there that he is on the market and available to drive for anyone now, not just on-call for Hyundai like he was before.

He has not done a rally with decent competition since Australia and last year only did 6 gravel rallies that typically suit him. He needs to show himself and since he bought the start in Finland it looks like he thinks so too.

I don't see how any team would hire him for fulltime season including tarmac rounds based on the situation right now. Hyundai is about the only team who would be interested in part-time drive and doesn't look like an option atm. Citroen said that they don't want drivers for part-season, Toyota will have enough with part time for Katsuta and probably Rovanpera. MSport will want budget.

[Zeakiwi2]

Paddon might have one shot left at the wrc, if he is lucky.

Without Paddon there the WRC is more 'ERC 'plus with all European crews.

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Hyundai is number 3 on the Australian sales tally. Hyundai misses a chunk of the market share by not having a ute/ pickup line to compete with the Toyota, Ford, Holden, Nissan, Isuzu etc product lines.
Might Paddon have a tilt at the Aus Rally Championship in the future? (he is trying one round this year)

Beijing Hyundai is a JV between Hyundai and BAIC in China (4 factories?) making 1.8 million cars a year. by extension China is about to allow the export of used cars.
Might Paddon's possible Hyundai pathway be as an Asia Pacific marketer of the new tech cars and brand awareness for the mega amount of used cars in the dirt road asia countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Hyundai
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...-export-market

[melaniepss]

Thanks to him we will see unbelievable passages in the future.

[Portimao]

I asked Richard Millener about a scale of damage of Paddon's Fiesta. He was kind to answer.

[Andre Oliveira]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...-finland-crash

[Fast Eddie WRC]

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...-finland-crash

For those without access:

World Rally Championship exile Hayden Paddon is working on a deal to land a seat in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC before the end of the 2019 season.

Paddon's planned WRC return with M-Sport at Rally Finland collapsed after a heavy testing crash three days before the start, and M-Sport confirmed the driver was blameless in the crash.

The ex-Hyundai WRC driver then flew home from Finland before the rally had begun to line up meetings with investors.

Paddon continues to work with M-Sport to try to get back into the Fiesta.

"Even though we knew there was no chance of doing anything on the rally, John [Kennard, co-driver] and I had planned to do the recce, but then there was the chance to sit down with people at home to talk through the options, so I had to jump on the plane," said Paddon.

"I don't think I can manage [the backing I had for] Finland, but I'm working flat-out to put a package together.

"I will drive anywhere, on any rally for the rest of the year. I just want the opportunity to show what I can do.

"Even though I only worked with those guys for a short time, it was clear to see the ambition and the ability within the team. And, I have to say, the Fiesta felt fantastic from the first kilometre.

"I'll do whatever it takes to be there. I got close in Finland, and it hurt really bad that it ended the way it did. That's not going to be the end of my time in the WRC.

"I've still got a lot of years left in me and, as I said before Finland, I honestly believe I've never driven better or been in better shape than I am right now."


M-Sport team principal Richard Millener said his outfit was keen to find a way to get Paddon back in the team.

"We want to help Hayden," said Millener. "We were massively disappointed for him last week, and we want to see him in the car.

"I was really impressed with the effort he put in, and the work he did ahead of the event to bring the deal together in such a short time.

"But the simple fact is that we need some more budget to be able to get him back in the car again."

[Rally Power]

Fingers crossed for Paddon. He totally deserves another chance.

[Zeakiwi2]

Paddon doing a livestream announcement midday 12pm 20/8/2019 nz standard time

He showed a pic of the front quarter of a white car in the livestream announcement.

Edit - Announcements were 1) Paddon's biography - chapter one.

2a Hyundai Kona electric rally car (ap4+) - Paddon aiming for noise and torque.
sponsors/ co-operation. Hyundai NZ, Yes Electric Power - nz , Stard- austria, Motorsport NZ - nz fia body, Canterbury University-NZ - Engineering department.
2b Mention of the other programs/ events TCR, Rallysprint/ Hillclimb car,

3)Paddon WRC news in a few weeks. (my guess would be with M-Sport in Australia)

https://nzmotorracing.co.nz/2019/08/...Romr-5vR7413M4

pic of model of ev kona
https://www.velocitynews.co.nz/news/...kona-rally-car

The media event/ vid
https://youtu.be/s9ZbpP5VSbs

[Zeakiwi2]

Paddon - Driven episode 2

https://youtu.be/gRzR2v900H4

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Meet the Hyundai Kona that’s an 800bhp electric rally car. WRC driver Hayden Paddon is working on a ‘spectacular sounding’ EV racer → https://t.co/9ip8gNE6SR