It's been a difficult year for New Zealand rally star, Hayden Paddon.
“I think in general the package is good all round. All the cars have got a slight advantage on different rallies. We have always gone well on high grip situations, on gravel anyway.“When it gets a bit slippery maybe we struggle a little bit, and obviously we saw in Spain there was an understeer issue on tarmac, but the team are working pretty hard to cure this. It’s really a matter of finding the right combinations between dampers and springs and differentials, and there’s a lot of parameters and new parameters we can tune on the car this year. It is just trying to find the right combination.” Hayden is back in the team again for the final 2017 round, in Australia, but what is his future with Hyundai World Rally Team? “Discussion are taking place with the parties involved regarding 2018. We have a pretty clear contract that we’re doing all the rallies in 2018. I am just focusing on the driving.”
Eighth place in Wales Rally GB was a step in the right direction for Paddon, with the season-ending Rally Australia to follow.
“To be honest I have absolutely no idea what’s going on at all. Even Spain we didn’t know about until very last minute. The details I know are very limited, so I just turn up and drive and that’s just the way it is at the moment …”What kind of technical changes are planned for next year? “We can see in WRGB that they’ve introduced some new aerodynamics on Thierry (Neuville’s) car which is going forward to next year, with the rear bumper, rear quarter panels, side skirts. “For Spain they had the front bumper and rear wing. And the rear fins out the back of the wheels. I think there will be plenty more technical, not changes so much as updates, just constant development. “I’m not exactly sure of the plan, but I know there are more things coming.”
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