Hayden Paddon, who has been loyal to Hyundai since his WRC debut in 2014, has expressed optimism that the Korean manufacturer will remain in the World Rally Championship for the 2027 season. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Hyundai’s future at the top level, Paddon believes his involvement in the development of the Rally2 car is a positive sign.
“It’s all up in the air at the moment,” Paddon told MotorSport New Zealand’s Inside Line. “There are obviously some rumours going around — but it is just that, it is rumours. As far as we’re aware, they are working on options. Obviously they have an appetite that they still want to stay involved in rallying, but the new regulation change that comes into play for next year is probably a little bit disturbing for the team.”
Hyundai’s decision is awaited by many. Cyril Abiteboul, team principal, is reportedly flying to Seoul this week to discuss the brand’s future in WRC. According to DirtFish, there are three options: a full factory program, a presence via privateers, or a complete withdrawal from the top tier. This situation leaves drivers like Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville in limbo.
For Paddon, who also drives part-time for Hyundai, there is a glimmer of hope. “We are involved in some development work with the Rally2 car back in Europe over the coming months,” he said. “In my mind, we wouldn’t be doing this development work on the car if it wasn’t leading to something. I guess we just have to wait and see.” Paddon has previously expressed a desire to start his own WRC team under the new low-cost regulations, but he admits that dream is still far off.
“I’d love that, of course, but we don’t have any budget for that unfortunately,” he said. “Never say never, we are putting up our hand saying ‘Hey, look! We’d be quite interested to run a satellite team’. Even if it wasn’t for the European rounds, we could run a satellite team for the non-European rounds. There are just way too many unknowns at the moment. We’re just focusing on the testing.”
The 2026 season has only three rounds left: Chile, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. The finale in the Middle East is uncertain due to geopolitical unrest, and a decision could come this week. Paddon hopes for clarity soon so he can plan his next steps, whether with Hyundai or with his own team.
Baca Juga
FIA menambah jatah ban Rally1 menjadi 36 untuk Rally Chile 2026 sebagai respons atas insiden ban di Paraguay. Simak detail rencana jangka panjang Hankook dan WRC.
Sebastien Ogier akan menyamai rekor 213 start WRC milik Jari-Matti Latvala di Rally Chile. Simak analisis peluangnya mengejar gelar juara musim ini.
Project Rally One memulai uji coba perdana di Alsace bersama Stephane Lefebvre. Tim puas dengan shakedown 350 km dan masih mempertimbangkan tampil di Monte Carlo.
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