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Hayden Paddon will be back in World Rallying this year as part of a “100 per cent Kiwi” Hyundai New Zealand Rally team in the WRC2 category.
Hyundai NZ has committed to two seasons with the i20N Rally2 car, driven by Paddon with long-time co-driver John Kennard. There will be three events this year, and seven for 2023; the team intends to be a serious contender for the championship in the second year.
Every round of the WRC season features WRC2, but teams can only nominate seven scoring rounds; the best six results count.
Sitting underneath the top-tier Rally1 category (where the Hyundai Motorsport factory team also competes), Rally2 cars run 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines with around 212kW. They have permanent 4WD and a five-speed sequential gearbox. A manufacturer must have made at least 2500 examples of the road-going version of its nominated model in the previous 12 months.
Paddon hasn’t competed outside Europe for two years and says he doesn’t underestimate the challenges ahead, not least with logistics and travel in the midst of Covid-19. “But we’re so proud to be taking a Kiwi team to these offshore events, along with some support in Europe and backed by an incredible line-up of NZ companies including Hyundai NZ to make this unique campaign possible.”
The team’s WRC2 schedule gets under way at Rally Estonia from 14-17 July, followed by Rally Finland on 4-7 August. After the two European events, the Rally2 car comes home to contest Rally New Zealand from 29 September to 2 October.
Hyundai NZ is also a major sponsor of the 2022 Rally New Zealand. The event will feature Hyundais in three separate categories: WRC1 with Hyundai Motorsport, plus the WRC2 and AP4 cars run by Hyundai NZ Rally.
Keyword: Hayden Paddon back on World Rally stage