Paddon headed to the season-ending rally in Poland with a significant lead in the European Championship standings. The New Zealand Hyundai driver has left nothing to chance, leading the Rally Silesia after Saturday’s special stages.
Paddon has a 6.8-second advantage over Italian Andrea Mabellini in the race. Romanian Simone Tempestini sits in third place, while the host country’s Miko Marczyk is in fourth, nearly half a minute behind Paddon.
“I don’t want to think too far ahead. The season has been really tough, and a lot has happened. Right now, the focus is on getting the job done tomorrow.”
Paddon already claimed the European Championship title last season. This year hasn’t been a winning streak, as he only reached the podium once in the first six events, finishing third in Sweden earlier this summer. Last month, he celebrated his first victory of the year at the ERC Rally Wales.
Rain is forecast for the Rally Silesia stages on Sunday, which could affect the situation. Paddon has been cautious, but if the rain catches him off guard on Sunday, he may need to ease off the throttle even more. On the other hand, he’s not in major trouble, as French driver Mathieu Franceschi, currently second in the championship, is in fifth place in the race, 42.3 seconds behind Paddon.
Six special stages are still set to take place in the Polish round of the European Championship on Sunday.
Rally Silesia Standings after SS8/14:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hayden Paddon | Hyundai | 56:30.1 |
| 2. | Andrea Mabellini | Skoda | +6.8 |
| 3. | Simone Tempestini | Skoda | +25.5 |
| 4. | Mikolaj Marczyk | Skoda | +29.9 |
| 5. | Mathieu Franceschi | Skoda | +42.3 |
| 6. | Grzegorz Grzyb | Skoda | +45,4 |
| 7. | Jon Armstrong | Skoda | +476. |
| 8. | Yoann Bonato | Citroen | +1:01.0 |
| 9. | Jaroslaw Szeja | Skoda | +1:04.1 |
