Hayden Paddon heads into his first gravel outing in a Rally1 car this week with a 'nothing to lose' mentality. The New Zealander has earned a bonus drive with Hyundai Motorsport at Rally del Paraguay, after initially being contracted for just three Tarmac rounds in 2026: Monte Carlo, Croatia, and Japan.
It's a long-awaited opportunity for Paddon, whose last gravel event in a top-class WRC car came back in 2018, and whose last visit to South America was in 2017. Rather than feeling the pressure, he's embracing the challenge and the chance to push flat out.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Returning to South America brings back fond memories for Paddon. A decade ago, he claimed his first (and so far only) WRC victory at Rally Argentina 2016. Although Paraguay is a different country with unfamiliar stages, he expects a similar vibe.
“We go into this rally with effectively nothing to lose. The target is different from our Tarmac events – this time we want to drive flat out, give it everything and deliver the strongest result possible for the team,” he said. “Our gravel mileage is limited, but from the first kilometre I felt at home in the car. Gravel is what we've cut our teeth on, so no excuses.”
Paddon is also aware this could be his final appearance for Hyundai this season, with Esapekka Lappi taking the third car in Chile and Dani Sordo expected in Sardinia. But he's not letting that distract him.
“It's a bit of a trip back down memory lane,” Paddon admitted. “What happened there 10 years ago was special, and at the time we probably didn't embrace it enough. So this is a chance to go back, enjoy that moment, and try to create another one.”
Baca Juga
Hayden Paddon tak mau terbebani jelang debut gravel Rally1 di Reli Paraguay. Ia bidik hasil maksimal dengan status nothing to lose bersama Hyundai.
Marcus Gronholm buka kemungkinan menjadi prinsipal tim WRC di podcast WRC Backstories. Legenda Finlandia itu siap jika ada tawaran yang tepat.
Adrien Fourmaux menargetkan hasil manis di WRC Paraguay 2025 setelah kehilangan podium di akhir reli tahun lalu. Hyundai percaya diri dengan performa gravel cepat.
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