Hayden Paddonconfirmed for Expanded WRC Role with Hyundai Motorsport in 2015
Hayden Paddonconfirmed for expanded WRC role with Hyundai Motorsport in 2015
- Hayden Paddon will remain part of the Hyundai Motorsport WRC line-up in 2015 after signing with the team for at least nine rallies next season.
- The rising Kiwi star is set to increase his learning of WRC in 2015, competing in a greater number of events with Hyundai Motorsport, a team with whom he feels at home.
- Paddon, who will be co-driven once again by John Kennard, took a best result of sixth in 2014 at Rally Australia before securing his first ever WRC stage win in Rally Spain.
Alzenau, Germany
December 15, 2014 –Hyundai Motorsport has today announced that New Zealander Hayden Paddon will remain part of its driver line-up for the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
The 27-year-old will take part in a heightened campaign next season, driving a minimum of nine rallies alongside co-driver John Kennard, starting from the second round of the 2015 WRC, Rally Sweden in February. Paddon will alsojoin the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team on recce duties at the season opening Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.
Paddon joined the team in its debut season competing in six rounds of the Championship at the wheel of the #20 Hyundai i20 WRC and scoring points for the Hyundai Motorsport N team.
The Kiwi crew secured a best finish of sixth place at Rally Australia before taking their first ever WRC stage win in Rally Spain. The duo will aim to continue the momentum and positive performances from 2014 into next season, helping the team to maintain its impressive rate of development.
Paddon said: “I am very excited to continue working with Hyundai Motorsport with an expanded programme, starting with round 2 in Sweden. I learnt a lot and built some really good partnerships within the team this year and it was an obvious choice for us to develop more and chase better results in 2015. Also, the confirmation of us doing more events will be crucial for me to develop as a driver and to work closer with the team. The first part of 2015 will remain a learning curve as we will be competing on events in which we have little or no experience. However, once we return to the events that we did this year, I believe we can be very competitive and start pushing to be fighting amongst the top 5.We have high hopes for the year and look forward to working with the team and helping with the development of the Hyundai i20 WRC."
Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “I am pleased that Hayden will continueto be part of the Hyundai Motorsport team in 2015 and taking part in a greater number of events with us. He had a great first WRC season with us, putting in some eye-catching performances and helping us a lot in the development of our team and car. He gives excellent technical feedback and works very well as part of a close-knit team with the engineers and mechanics. He has already proven himself more than capable of rallying with the best drivers in the world and his personal development was evident as he reduced the gap to his more experienced colleagues. We are happy to be supporting this next phase in his career and look forward to seeing what he can do in the coming season, which promises to be an exciting one for Hyundai Motorsport.”
About Hyundai Motor Company
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company, which leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars, offers top-quality best-sellers such as Elantra, Sonata and Genesis. Hyundai Motor has seven manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centers outside of South Korea and in 2013, sold 4.73 million vehicles globally. With almost 100,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell.
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About Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Established on 19 December 2012, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai’s global motorsport activities and primarily for its World Rally Championship programme. Based in Alzenau on the outskirts of Frankfurt in Germany, the company has embarked on its debut season in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 with a bespoke team of skilled staff and a brand new car, the Hyundai i20 WRC.
Further information about Hyundai Motorsport is available at:
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