D'Arcy Waldegrave: Hayden Paddon has reignited his rally career

Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do.  

Hayden Paddon is back in the World Rally Championship, eight years after last competing at the highest level of the sport.

The Kiwi peddler, along with long-time collaborator and navigator John Kennard, has been given a third share of Hyundai’s third entry into next year’s global championship.

Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will contest every round of the championship, with Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi, and Hayden Paddon sharing the third car. Hayden will kick off the season in Monte Carlo next year, the first round of the 2026 Championship, and one of the most iconic rallies on the calendar. 

Since he departed the world scene not on the best terms with Hyundais world rally team, Hayden has not stopped developing his craft, or the cars he campaigns in in rallies across the world. No sulking, no what ifs, just full focus on the task at hand.

Speaking with Hayden a year ago after he won the European Rally Championship for the second consecutive year, as it happens, when he won the first of the two, he became the first non-European rally driver to do so. Hayden told me he believed the WRC ship had well and truly sailed and he was looking at his current campaigns and the development of his primary interest outside of the driver's seat, the electric Hyundai Kona EV. This is pioneering work in the electric rally car space.

Although Hayden’s tenure with Hyundai’s international rally arm faltered, he stuck with the manufacturer here in New Zealand, showing loyalty to the brand. That, along with keeping his sword razor sharp by competing at the highest level he could, he has reignited his rally career.

Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do.   

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
What was I belting on about before about being great news?
Plainly it's attached to their wonderful wide world of motorsport
because that really gets me going. Persistence, talent, desire, results
and an unerring belief in love for what you do.
Hayden Padden is back at the World Rally Championship, eight

(00:34):
years after last competing at the highest level of the sport.
The Kiwi Pedler, along with his longtime collaborator and navigator
John Kennard, had been given a third chair of Hyundai's
third entry into next year's Global Championship. Terry Novelle and
Adriaan Foremo will contest every round of the Championship, with

(00:54):
Dunny Sordeaux, Essa Pecca Luppi and Hayden Padden sharing the
third car. Hayden will kick the season off in Monte
Carlo next year, the first round of the twenty six
Champampionship and one of the most iconic rallies on the calendar.
Look since Hayden departed the world scene, and not on
the best of terms with Hayndo's World Rally Championship. Arm

(01:17):
Hayden has not stopped developing his craft. All the cars
he campaigns and rallies right across the world. No sulkan,
no wadifs, just full focused on the task at hand.
Speaking of Hayden, the year or so ago after he
won the European Rally Championship and it's the second consecutive
time he's done that. As it happens, when he won

(01:39):
the first of the two, he became the first non
European driver to do so. Stunning. So Hayden told me
he believed that the WRC ship had well and truly sailed,
and he was looking at a current campaigns and the
development of his primary interest outside of the driver's seat,
the electric Hendai Kona ev. This is pioneering work in

(02:00):
the electric rally car space. He's maintained he's had that
full focus and although his tenure with Hayndos International Rally faulted,
he stuck with the manufacturer here in New Zealand. He
showed loyalty to the brand and that along with keeping
his sword razor sharp by competing at the highest level
he possibly could, he has rehignited his rally career persistence, talent, desire,

(02:30):
results and an honerring belief and love for what you do.
That'll do, and that'll do nicely Hayden.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
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