MARCIN RYBAK/RALLYART PHOTO
Hayden Paddon is still in the mix for a podium finish at Rally Sweden.
New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon remains in the mix for a podium finish in his first WRC event of the season.
The 30-year-old and British co-driver Seb Marshall finished the penultimate day of Rally Sweden in fourth spot – one place back from where they started the day.
P4 at the end day 2. Not quite the day we wanted but still enjoying and doing the best we can. Unfortunately lost a little time in last stage stuck in a snow bank but still in a good position to push on tomorrow #paddonspack pic.twitter.com/aLIB3pOA8X
— Hayden Paddon (@HaydenPaddon) February 17, 2018
READ MORE: Paddon survives wintry weather
In dry conditions with no fresh snow, Paddon’s patient and consistent approach to the eight special stages kept them in the hunt, even if they weren’t able to make much headway.
“We started the morning loop knowing that we would be playing a waiting game,” he said. “The way that the car has been set up for my driving meant we had to find a compromise between my own confidence and the outright performance in those first stages.
“The wider lines on the roads in the afternoon played more to my strengths, so we had to be patient and wait for the stages to come to us. We were definitely more comfortable to push in the repeat loop. It was fantastic to see so many fans enjoying the stages, especially through Colin’s Crest.”
There are three more stages to be completed on Monday morning (NZ time), with Paddon 48.6 seconds behind race leader Thierry Neuville – his Hyundai team-mate.
The Belgian completed four stage wins on the day and holds a lead of 22.7 seconds over Citroen’s Craig Breen, with Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen a further 9.3 seconds back.
World champion and three-times Rally Sweden winner Sebastien Ogier, who won last month’s Monte Carlo opener, is in 10th place.
– Stuff
Source :Stuff.co.nz
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