HAYDEN PADDON COMPARES AP4 AND WRC CARS

Hayden Paddon’s WRC spec Hyundai rally car – Photo: LAT

Heading into Rally Australia, Kiwi Rally star Hayden Paddon offered his unique insight into competing with both AP4/R5 spec cars, which Australian Rally Championship contenders will battle for the local title with this weekend, and the outright World Rally Championship spec international rally cars.

By RHYS VANDERSYDE

“The easiest way to try and explain it that you are comparing a quarter of million dollar car with a million dollar car,” said Paddon.

“The guidelines are sort of similar, like the geometry and the wheelbases are very similar, they’re all running 1.6 or 1.8 engines and four-wheel drive, but the world rally car is just the next step in development and technology. “

“A WRC car is actually very easy to drive at 90%, it’s the last 10% where you’ve got to have so much confidence in that the car is capable of doing so much more. You can brake so much later than you physically think is possible and you can carry so much more corner speed. So that’s where that last 10% comes from in the World Rally Car.”

“An AP4 car is, in fact, more difficult to drive, but its more consistent throughout, whether you drive it at 50% or 100% its still the same sort of car to drive.”

Hayden Paddon’s AP4 “plus” spec Hyundai that he competes with in New Zealand – Photo: Supplied

When quizzed to make a circuit racing reference, Paddon liked it to jumping from a Formula 3 car to a Formula 1 car.

“It’s more in the corner speeds, just how much speed you carry through corners, being much more confident of what the car is capable of.” Paddon continued.

Rally Australia will see both the Australian Rally Championship and the World Rally Championship titles decided on the fast and dusty gravel roads around Coffs Harbour.

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