PaddonoffonEuropecampaign

• Published date: 24 June 2022
• Publication title: Sports Tab

The Cromwell-based driver headed to Europe this week for a long-awaited return to the international rally arena

He has linked with long-serving co-driver John Kennard, who was already overseas, and a squadron of his engineers and technicians for the Rally di Alba, a Tour European Rally event, in Italy this weekend.

It is a massive trip all round.

Paddon, the former WRC driver, and his team have been working long days and nights at their Cromwell base as they continue to work on their revolutionary technology for electric rally vehicles.

He will be in a noisier car in Italy, a Hyundai i20 R5 run by Hyundai Motorsport Italy, and it will be his first rally on tarmac in five years.

‘‘I might have to put the training wheels back on, I reckon,’’ Paddon told the Otago Daily Times.

‘‘But it will be fun. Expectations will be pretty low, so we’re going there to get some miles and start the campaign off and get our name back on the map.’’

This is familiar territory for Paddon, who has driven in every condition and every rally event imaginable.

But it will be like school for the members of his team, who need to gain experience of European rallying before Paddon chases the World Rally2 Championship title next year.

‘‘It’s the first time for all of them doing an event overseas. That’s a great opportunity for them but also a big learning curve.

‘‘Competing overseas is generally quite different to rallying in New Zealand, so we are going to be learning together.’’

Paddon never drives to lose, and he intends to push as hard as he can in this campaign.

‘‘I’ve got full confidence...