Quote Originally Posted by stefanvv View Post
Do You think Paddon will face new challenge cleaning the road (after Ogier of course)? Was that part of Yours development program?
It was not part of the "program" to get up to second in the championship this quick. But when he is there, its off course essential to learn as much as possible from it. When you are starting to reach the top, you are going to face challenges as sweeping the road etc, and you need to see this as opportunities to learn, rather than a hindrance towards achieving the optimum result. Both sweeping experience and also being able to see Ogiers lines is off course something that should be put to the best use possible.
Unless something really special happens Hayden is not going to challenge for the world title this year, so then its off course important to use every rally and every experience as a tool to learn for the future - for when it really is going to count.
I think - and that is in many sports - that already at a very young age athletes are to focused on results compared to learning, and this hampers progression. Winning a national championship at 19 doesn't matter, its winning the World Championship at 30, so to speak. And to do that, its a lot of things you have to prepare for. Sweeping the road definitely a part of that.
And in regards to Haydens potential, he is the type of driver that can develop to be able to fight for the win on every stage of every rally. He has just impressed me immensely. I can for obvious reasons not say exactly what we have done, but the speed he can make progression is just incredible, and so far (we haven't settled for the future yet, so we will see what happens) I have had to adjust my "plan" many times, because things have just speed up all the time.
I had some parameters on feedback before Argentina, and when he exceeded them, and also set a very good time on the shakedown, which was a really technical stage (remember, Hayden is the guy who didn't like technical stages at all), I had to reprogram for a possible fight for the victory. This ment a lot of mental adjustments on my own part, and it has been that way from the start. He has great potential, and is definitely a VERY strong candidate to take away the throne from the French Sebastiens