Hayden Paddon the competitive beast

By Timothy Neal

Date posted: 22 April 2025

OK, so the Kangaroo did end his rally, but New Zealander Hayden Paddon is arguably the greatest modern-day international rally driver to come out of the Southern Hemisphere, having collected some serious accolades across 20 years in the sport. And while it’s hard to compare generations, his achievements probably do cement him squarely up the top of the Antipodean Rally-GOAT’s all-time list. And he’s not done yet by any means.

Read full feature in the latest issue of Auto Action Premium magazine available now at over 2300 outlets Australia wide

Other notable twenty-first century Trans-Tasman drivers to go through the WRC top-tier include Australia’s Chris Atkinson, who’s 2008 season for the Subaru World Rally Team delivered a streak of podiums with a total of four solid years spent with the Japanese outfit. In comparison, Atkinson’s overall podium and appearance record was not too dissimilar from Paddon’s – and outside of the two there has been sporadic appearances – but none have matched the overall international success of the driver from Geraldine.

Alongside long-time co-driver John Kennard, the pair have amassed two European Rally Championship titles (2023-24), an FIA Production Car World Rally Championship (2011), a record seven NZ Rally titles (08-09, ’13, ’18, ’21-’23) and embarked on a hard-fought FIA WRC career for Hyundai that delivered a rare and sensational victory in Argentina and seven further podiums against the worlds best with a season high finish of fourth.

There’s only been 80 event winners in the history of the WRC, and comparatively few are from the southern hemisphere (actually only one other: Argentina’s Jorge Recalde), with Paddon being the first from NZ or Australia to have achieved that feat at the top level.

He was also the first ever non-European to take out the ultra-competitive ERC title, an achievement he famously and proudly celebrated with the (at the time controversial) Silver Fern NZ flag.

Having taken up the sport as a kid out of Karting, with his father also having been a rally driver, Paddon has a proven drive to succeed and is an admitted competitive beast.

He’s had a long – and at times rocky – relationship with the famous South Korean marquee which he’s turned to his favour against some pretty big odds, and is now taking on a new frontier across the Tasman in Australia at the age of 37 (traditionally prime rally years).

With his aspirations to take a third straight ERC title cut short by funding, his maiden Australian Rally Championship campaign represents his need to fill an unavoidable competitive edge, a trait that’s seen him go toe-to-toe (literally) with the world best, and come out on top.

Auto Action spoke with Paddon from his team base in Cromwell – near the Highlands Motorsport Park on the South Island – about his ARC campaign, his 20 year career and various titles, and his roller coaster stint in the WRC that covered every spectrum in the book: from tragedy and elation, to disappointment and back, and future possibilities.

Although his first ARC outing at the Rally of Canberra didn’t end in victory, he led the event into the second day before a left hander revealed a native surprise, wrecking the frontend of his i20N Rally2.

“We obviously didn’t finish how we would have liked, but in terms of the championship we felt quite welcomed. Canberra is certainly a challenging event in its own right, I’d just prefer to dodge any more Kangaroos going forward,” Paddon quipped.

“The speed is at a high level here, and we’re certainly going to have our work cut out to be in front. That’s why we’ve come to Australia, for that increased competition because that’s what we thrive on. We’re going to have to work pretty hard for it this season.

“It fills that need for competition as well as a new challenge. We’ve been trying to make it happen for a few years, and we’re doing this on a shoe-string. It would’ve been ideal to return to the ERC, but the budget wasn’t there.”