It’s fair to say Hayden Paddon’s return to the World Rally Championship next year after an eight-year hiatus was a surprise for the rally world to digest. It was even a shock for Paddon, but it was one of those “good surprises” that underlines why it is important to never give up on dreams.
That dream is now reality, as the 38-year-old finds himself preparing to contest next month’s WRC season opener in Monte Carlo. The likeable Kiwi will jump behind the wheel of Hyundai’s third factory i20 N Rally1 car, following a shakeup of the Korean marque’s line-up after the departure of 2019 world champion Ott Tanak.
“I was very surprised [to receive the call from Hyundai] but it is a good surprise, and it has happened all very quickly too, maybe one week [is all it took]. I haven’t really had a lot of time to think about it but for sure it is a big opportunity,” said Paddon.
As Paddon puts it ‘rallying is his life’ and that’s a pretty accurate statement. The New Zealander has spent a career sacrificing and striving to reach rallying’s pinnacle – a dream that was initially reached with his own private team back in 2007. A lot has happened since driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 at Rally New Zealand, 18 years ago.
That taste of the big time only spurred Paddon on, climbing the rally ranks before his world changed when Hyundai came calling offering a part-time factory drive in 2014 – the year the Korean marque rejoined the WRC. Paddon quickly became part of the Hyundai furniture over the next five years with his best season arriving in 2016, when he claimed a famous win in Argentina on his way to fourth in the championship.
But at the end of 2018, having finished second in the season ending Rally Australia, behind Jari-Matti Latvala it all came to a shuddering halt. At the time, Paddon’s future was uncertain but he had hoped what he labelled a “proper podium” would be enough to keep his WRC dream alive.
“This feels like a proper podium. I felt the last few we’ve benefitted from others’ misfortune, but we’ve definitely earned this one,” Paddon told this writer at Rally Australia back in 2018.
“We have to see what happens next season, but I hope this result helps our cause. I don’t know if that is our last rally or not, so we will just wait over the next two weeks, and hopefully something will come out of the woodwork.”
Hayden Paddon drove for Hyundai Motorsport in 2018
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Unfortunately, nothing came out of said woodwork at Hyundai, and the Kiwi has been desperate to return to the WRC ever since.
To his credit Paddon kept on rallying and proving his worth, and crucially remained attached to the Hyundai brand through his Hyundai New Zealand connections that have been loyal in backing Paddon, whether it be contesting national championships or ambitious projects such as creating an all-electric Hyundai Kona rally car to showcase the potential of EV rallying.
Three national titles in New Zealand and one in Australia [2025], alongside back-to-back European Rally Championship titles, driving a semi factory supported Hyundai i20 N Rally2 in 2023 and 2024, again showcased Paddon still has the skills to compete at the highest level. But even after eight years on the WRC sidelines, many drivers would have most likely given up hope for a return, but not Paddon. And now he finds himself back in the Hyundai WRC fold alongside Dani Sordo and Esapekka Lappi.
«Firstly, I’m incredibly thankful and privileged for this opportunity. It’s something we will work tirelessly for, to ensure we contribute to the team’s ultimate goals,” Paddon said.
“After 12 years with Hyundai, it’s a brand I’m immensely proud to represent, and one I want to help push forward both on and off the stages.
“Very few people truly know just how much I’ve sacrificed throughout my life for this sport – personally, professionally, and in every quiet moment in between. That hasn’t changed, the commitment is still the same. Not because I have to, but because I genuinely want to. To think we will return to the WRC eight years after our last event is something incredibly rare, but it shows that if you stay focussed, stay patient, and never give up, anything is possible.”
Hayden Paddon kept his ties with Hyundai through other series
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Paddon hits the nail on the head. In sport and rallying in particular “anything is possible”. But to achieve in this arena requires determination, sacrifice and hard work. All three of these attributes Paddon has in abundance, but it isn’t the only thing he now has in his locker.
These intervening years since his last WRC outing have seen Paddon grow as a driver and add to his incredible amount of experience, which is one of the reasons why Hyundai has come calling. The brand is desperate to hit the ground running in its pursuit of Toyota in the manufacturers’ crown and sees utilising experience as its ticket to the trophy.
“Bringing in Dani, EP and Hayden enables us to call upon their individual strengths to support our manufacturers’ title ambitions next year,” said Hyundai’s sporting director Andrew Wheatley.
“We had a difficult decision to make – whether to opt for experience and consistency, or bring in a rising star and nurture them. However, we are in the last year of the Rally1 technical regulations, and we believe the right path is to bring in drivers with knowledge of the car and the team.”
Paddon is fully aware that this second WRC chance will indeed be different from the time before. Not only have the cars changed since 2018, but so have the objectives. Dreams of becoming world champion have long been parked, but there is still an opportunity for silverware.
“Eight years on, I can say I’m a different driver. And together with [co-driver] John [Kennard] by my side – after our 20-year journey to date – we believe our experience will serve well. Our mindset today is very different to what it was back then. When you’re young, the only thing you can think about is winning,» said Paddon.
“Of course we want Hyundai to win, but our role now is clear; to do the best possible job for the team and support our full-time team-mates [Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux]. We will give everything we have, and work harder than ever, to make sure we do just that.”
The hard work to prepare for a WRC return – at arguably one of the toughest rallies on the calendar – in Monte Carlo, starts now. Well, actually, it began last week when Paddon was quickly summoned to contest Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy in France in Rally2 machinery. It proved to be a valuable outing to learn how the Hankook WRC tyres react on asphalt, before stepping up to the Rally1 car for the annual curtain raiser on the famous winding roads around the Monaco principality next month.
“There is no question Monte Carlo is going to be a challenging event for us. But we back ourselves to deliver what is required, and it’s head down now to prepare and do exactly that,” Paddon adds.
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