Hayden Paddon facts for kids
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Hayden Paddon at the 2024 Ashley Forest Rallysprint
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  New Zealander |
| Born | 20 April 1987 Geraldine, New Zealand |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2007–2019, 2022 |
| Co-driver | John Kennard Sebastian Marshall |
| Teams | Hyundai World Rally Team, M-Sport World Rally Team, Pirelli Star Driver |
| Rallies | 82 |
| Championships | 3 |
| Rally wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Stage wins | 38 |
| Total points | 414 |
| First rally | 2007 Rally New Zealand |
| First win | 2016 Rally Argentina |
| Last win | 2016 Rally Argentina |
| Last rally | 2022 Rally New Zealand |
Hayden Paddon (born on April 20, 1987) is a professional New Zealand rally driver. He became the PWRC (Production World Rally Championship) world champion in 2011. Hayden has also won the New Zealand Rally Championship many times, in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2023, he made history by becoming the first driver from outside Europe to win the European Rally Championship. He then won the European Rally Championship again in 2024 and also claimed the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title.
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Hayden Paddon's Rally Journey
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Hayden started racing cars when he was very young, just like his dad, Chris, who was also a rally driver. He began with karting. At just 15 years old, in 2002, he competed in his first rally. In 2005, he had a big crash where his car was damaged by fire during the Rally Canterbury.
In 2006, Hayden began competing in the New Zealand Rally Championship. He drove a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII and won both the Junior and Rookie titles, which are for young drivers and new drivers.
Starting in the World Rally Championship
In 2007, Hayden made his first appearance in the World Rally Championship (WRC). He competed in the Production World Rally Championship (PWRC) category at his home event in New Zealand as a special entry. He also raced for Team Jordan at Rally GB. In the New Zealand championship, he won his Junior title again and almost won the whole championship.
In 2008, he drove a new Mitsubishi Evo IX and won the New Zealand title. He also finished 13th overall and fourth in the PWRC category at his home race in the WRC.
Winning a Scholarship
In 2009, Hayden won the New Zealand title for the second time. He also won the Pacific Cup and earned a spot in the Pirelli Star Driver Asia-Pacific final at the 2009 Rally Australia.
Hayden was the fastest driver on the first day, which meant he won a special scholarship called the Pirelli Star Driver. This scholarship paid for him to race in six events during the 2010 World Rally Championship season. Things got even better when he finished ninth overall, beating many experienced PWRC drivers. Hayden also won a $50,000 scholarship from Rally of New Zealand, which gave him extra money to compete in a full PWRC season in 2010.
First PWRC Wins
In 2010, Hayden won the PWRC category at Rally New Zealand in his own Evo IX, finishing 14th overall. He then finished third and second in PWRC at Rally Finland and Rallye Deutschland while driving the Pirelli Star Driver Evo X.
The year 2011 was a big year for Hayden. He competed in a full PWRC season, which included six races. He started his own team, New Zealand World Rally Team. In a surprising move, Hayden switched to a Subaru for the 2011 season, even though he usually drove Mitsubishis. He drove a STR11 Subaru Impreza N4 car, managed by the Belgian team Symtech Racing. Hayden's 2011 season was a huge success. He won four rallies in a row: Portugal, Argentina, Finland, and Australia. This amazing performance made him the 2011 P-WRC Champion.
Moving to S-WRC
In 2012, Hayden moved up to the S-WRC championship, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000. After finishing fourth among the S-WRC drivers in Sweden, he got his first S-WRC win in his second race with the car at 2012 Rally de Portugal. This race was tough, and many drivers, including Hayden, had car problems.
First WRC Stage Lead and Win
In 2014, Hayden won his first stage in the main World Rally Championship during the Rally Catalunya in Spain.
In 2015, Hayden took the lead in a WRC event for the very first time at the Rally d'Italia. He was the first New Zealander to lead a World Rally Championship event outside of New Zealand since Possum Bourne led the 1999 Rally New Zealand. Hayden finished second overall, right behind Sébastien Ogier, after driving carefully and winning many stages.
In 2016, at the YPF Rally Argentina, Hayden achieved his first WRC win, and it was also New Zealand's first WRC win! He finished 13.3 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier. His co-driver, John Kennard, also became the oldest co-driver to win a WRC race at 57 years old.
Challenges and New Co-driver
At the first rally of 2017, the 2017 Monte Carlo Rally, Hayden crashed out on the very first stage. Sadly, a spectator was hurt and passed away in the accident. Even though Hayden's car wasn't badly damaged, his Hyundai team decided to pull him out of the rally as a sign of respect.
Before the sixth race in Portugal, Hayden's long-time co-driver, John Kennard, had to retire because of an injury. He was replaced by British co-driver Sebastian Marshall. Overall, Hayden had a tough season in 2017, only getting two podium finishes (top three places) in Poland and Australia. He led race seven in Italy but had to stop late on the second day after hitting a bank and breaking his car's suspension.
Electric Rally Car and Recent Success
In October 2020, Hayden Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand showed off one of the world's first electric vehicle (EV) rally cars, based on the Hyundai Kona. Hayden also organized and won the first Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 hillclimbing event in Central Otago in 2020. He drove a special Hyundai i20 called the AP4++, which had a custom 2.1-liter turbo engine making 800 horsepower!
In March 2022, Hayden Paddon teamed up with Hyundai New Zealand to enter a car into the WRC2 category. The car was run by Hyundai New Zealand Rally, with their experienced team of engineers and managers. Hayden managed to beat many international drivers to win the WRC2 class in his home country.
In 2023, Hayden Paddon joined the Italian BRC Racing Team. With support from Hyundai New Zealand and Pirelli Tyres, he competed in the 2023 European Rally Championship. He won the first event of the season in Portugal with John Kennard. They fought hard and won their first European Rally Championship title, making Hayden the first non-European driver to win this championship. Hayden also won the 2023 New Zealand Rally Championship on his home ground.
The year 2024 saw Hayden and John Kennard compete for another European Rally Championship title with the BRC Racing Team, supported by Hyundai New Zealand, Pirelli Tyres, and HMS Customer Racing. Hayden and John had a tough season, getting their first and only win at race seven in Rali Ceredigion. They battled against other top drivers like Mathieu Franceschi and Mikolaj Marczyk, but Hayden managed to win back-to-back European Rally Championships. Hayden also won the 2024 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with his new co-driver, Jared Hudson.
WRC Victories
| # | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  36° Rally Argentina |
2016 | John Kennard |
Hyundai i20 WRC |
ERC Victories
| # | Event | Season | Co-Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras |
2023 | John Kennard |
Hyundai i20 N Rally2 |
| 2 | Rali Ceredigion |
2024 | John Kennard |
Hyundai i20 N Rally2 |
See also
In Spanish: Hayden Paddon para niños
