Rallying: Wales just like Otago

Neither co-driver John Kennard (left) nor Hayden Paddon is fazed about the potentially wet...
Neither co-driver John Kennard (left) nor Hayden Paddon is fazed about the potentially wet conditions forecast for this weekend's Wales Rally GB. Photo by Michael Vettas.
Hayden Paddon plans to channel experience gained on the Otago Rally's slippery forestry stages when he contests the final World Rally Championship round, Wales Rally GB, this weekend.

The normal Welsh November weather consists of rain, rain and more rain, which on the long-range weather forecast looks no different for this year, Paddon said.

''Having said that, a wet Welsh forestry road is not too dissimilar to a wet Berwick forestry stage during Rally Otago at home, so we're certainly comfortable in wet gravel conditions.

"Generally, the roads are still very fast which suits us and, while the conditions will most likely be wet and muddy, the grip levels are consistent.''

Paddon also has a boost in confidence following his maiden WRC stage win, with co-driver John Kennard, at last month's Spanish WRC round.

They also claimed top-four stage times in their Hyundai i20 WRC car at this predominantly tarmac event, which is encouraging for Paddon, who is feeling increasingly comfortable in it, on his preferred surface of gravel.

Paddon and the Hyundai Motorsport N team were quick to depart Spain's sunny climes and hit Wales' wet, cold, gravel roads to test the cars in gravel setup.

''The more time I spend in the car the better it gets. We now have a good setup that allows me to push and the car is easy to drive,'' he said.

Since Rally Australia, Paddon has started to go in his own direction with differentials and suspension, ''as I tend to drive the car straighter than our team-mates, I am asking the car to do different things'', he said.

However, he is restricted by the regulations on the amount of testing he can do compared with the team's No 1 and 2 drivers, ''so this means it's a slow process'', he added.

The 2014 Welsh event marks the fifth time the Kiwi team has competed there, Paddon having contested his first international rally in the Welsh forests in 2007.

Wales Rally GB will be the sixth event he has contested for the new Hyundai Motorsport team on its debut WRC season.

''It doesn't seem like that long ago that we started our partnership with Hyundai at Rally Sardinia in June and we are now in our sixth event with the team.

"I feel we have achieved to date exactly what we set out to do - to learn and show steady progression while gaining as much experience as possible,'' Paddon said.

He wants to build on this momentum and is pushing for a top-five result among the 14 WRC crews which have entered Wales Rally GB, running from Friday to Sunday.

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