How Paddon claimed second ERC title with i20 N Rally2
Hayden Paddon won his second FIA European Rally Championship title after a tough season and having to rely on consistency and the reliability of his BRC Racing Team Hyundai i20 N Rally2. His season is a story of never giving up, despite setbacks and frustrations to take the title via one of the most dominant performances in the recent years of the championship.
Hungarian heartache
Paddon began his ERC title defence with fourth place at Rally Hungary, although it could so easily have been a victory but for heartache on the Power Stage. With tyre wear a notable issue on the rough gravel stages of the brand-new event to the series, Paddon adopted a cautious approach in the Hungarian sunshine. However, his overall performance – setting times among the top three on six stages in his Hyundai i20 Rally2 – meant he started the event-deciding Power Stage 7.7 seconds behind the leader, with a second ERC career win in his sights. But in a cruel twist, Paddon picked up a front-left puncture and dropped to fourth place at the finish. “We didn’t touch anything but for half a stage we drove with a puncture,” Paddon recalled. “We still get some points so there’s a silver lining.”
Challenging Canarias
With 8,000 fans creating an unforgettable atmosphere inside the Gran Canaria Arena, Paddon started the 2024 Rally Islas Canarias just like he did 12 months previously: by winning the opening superspecial stage. His spectacular display of precision driving aboard his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on a stage that included an indoor section through the basketball stadium gave him an early lead of 1.2s. However, out on the mountain stages that made up most of the event Paddon couldn’t quite emulate his early pace, despite his best efforts. He started the second leg in third overall but fell to sixth at the finish in a highly competitive field. “The beauty of the ERC is that you get the national guys who come in and you have to try to beat them,” he said. “It’s a credit to the championship how competitive it is.” With support from Hyundai Canarias, Alexey Lukyanuk finishes 14th overall on a debut weekend with the i20 N Rally2 that included the second fastest time on SS4.
Scandinavia speed
Paddon gave his all on the high-speed stages of Royal Rally of Scandinavia but, for the second time in 2024, there was late drama for the Kiwi. Having again won the Super Special Stage to kick off the event, Paddon and Kennard held the early lead before dropping behind local star Oliver Solberg. With Solberg on a flat-out charge to win his home event, Paddon admitted to “pulling the commitment down” after experiencing a lack of grip on the fast-paced gravel roads. Nevertheless, he was on course to finish second, only for a second Power Stage puncture of the year to drop him to third. “You’ve filmed this before,” he quipped to video crews as he and Kennard worked to change the puncture following the podium ceremony. However, he is not the only one to suffer on the final stage, as the championship leader crashes out. The result brings Paddon level on points at the top of the championship, having started the weekend in Karlstad weekend 21 points in arrears.
Estonia fightback
For the third event running, Paddon and Kennard were the crew to beat on the opening stage. But triumph soon threatened turned to despair for the BRC Racing Team pair when they completed the opening stage on Saturday morning with steam pouring from under the bonnet of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. “We had a big nosedive over a jump halfway through the stage and it’s just lost all the water,” Paddon explained at the end of the stage. The time lost on the stage dropped the duo to 17th overall. Remarkably, after making running repairs on the road section, Paddon won SS3 with a sensational drive to begin his fightback. Despite lowly road position after their Qualifying Stage run had been hampered by rain, the New Zealanders were consistently among the fastest crews of the weekend and crucially avoided any major further dramas. They completed the comeback on Power Stage, taking fifth place overall and moving to the top of the championship for the first time in the year with 10 point lead. “Considering we were potentially out of the rally on SS2 it’s better to bring back some points,” he said having been delayed by a slowly deflating tyre on SS12.
Rome result
Finishing 40 seconds off the lead would normally represent a good result at international level. But with the competition in the ERC so close, that gap equated to sixth place on Rally di Roma Capitale. Describing the event as “frustrating”, Paddon took heart from the fact he still led the championship order after the gruelling event in the Summer heat. While the Italian event’s Super Special snapped Paddon’s streak of opening stage victories, the interview he gave to the Live TV reporter at the end of the stage in the shadow of the Colosseum, proved memorable enough for fans to include in the shortlist for the Stage-end Quote of the Year award. He said: “It’s one of the coolest [superspecials] you do. The stage is irrelevant here, it’s all about the location. I said to John, ‘welcome to Paddon’s tours, five bucks, hop in, there’s a pretty building on the right-hand side’.”
Czech low
From seventh place after seven stages at Barum Czech Rally Zlín, Paddon plunged to 18th having twice stopped on the rain-hit stage eight with punctures. In mixed weather conditions, he charged back to finish 12th. The third fastest time on the Power Stage was a notable highlight – and potentially crucial for his championship aspirations – as the points scored increased his an advantage to 13 points with two rounds remaining. Long-term Hyundai Motorsport customer Martin Vlček just missed out on a top-15 finish but was “happy” at the completion of the Power Stage. “It was a really difficult event,” he says. “I’m happy to be in the finish.”
Welsh wonder
From the low of Barum Czech Rally Zlín, Paddon delivered an asphalt-driving masterclass at Rali Ceredigion. He led the Welsh round from start to finish and won all but one stage of the opening leg – only losing out to fellow i20 N Rally2 customer James Williams, who scored his maiden ERC stage win. In total Paddon notches up victory on 11 of the 14 stages, winning the event with nearly two minutes in hand over his nearest rival. The unstoppable performance allowed Paddon to more than double his margin at the top of the standings, strengthening his grip on a second consecutive ERC title. “It was a very good weekend, everything has just gone like clockwork,” Paddon said afterwards. “It’s full credit to the guys in the team because they’ve been working hard all year. We’ve been chasing this feeling for quite a while and finally this weekend we got that feeling.”
Pole position
Leading by 27 points starting Rally Silesia, Paddon knew the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship would be his by simply finishing in the top eight in his Hyundai i20 N Rally2. However, despite this he was still fastest on five of the first seven stages, reaching the overnight halt with a seven second advantage at the front of the rally after a “clean and precise” drive. Only when rain hits on the final day did Paddon take his foot off the gas, especially after a near disaster on the penultimate stage when he spun twice in the slippery conditions. Safe in the knowledge he would be champion again just by finishing ahead of his championship rival, Paddon cruises through the final test to take third place overall. “When we nearly got stuck off the road on the penultimate stage that was the reality check that made rally result irrelevant, it was all about the championship, so we went on a go-slow through the final stage.”
Looking back, on the 2024 ERC season, Paddon reflected: “It’s been a season of two halves. The first half of the season was pretty tough for us to the point we were almost ready to throw in the towel after Rome. But the team dug so deep, they’ve been working tirelessly to give us a good car and a good package. In Wales everything clicked and our season came alive. It’s a big commitment travelling halfway around the world and I’ve only been at home for 30 days this year so this title means a lot.”
*All results are subject to final FIA confirmation
