Hyundai New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have been victorious in their quest to win back-to-back European Rally Championship titles.

A highly competitive season saw Paddon & Kennard cement their successful title defence in the Hyundai i20 WRC2 at the final round over the past weekend in Poland, ERC Rally Silesia, with a hard-earned 3^rd place. This backed up victory in the prior round, ERC JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion in Wales, in a season where consistency was richly rewarded with the duo securing a finish in every round of the championship.

“The European Rally Championship is such a competitive environment and after a fantastic season in 2023, we had set ourselves the goal of defending our championship. The car and team performed excellently all season long. John and I are absolutely thrilled to add another trophy to the collection” says Paddon.

Hyundai New Zealand CEO Scott Kelsey praised the team's performance, saying, “Hayden and John’s achievements on the European stage are truly remarkable. Their drive, determination, and consistent success represent the core values of Hyundai. We are incredibly proud of their back-to-back championship wins and the way they continue to raise the bar for New Zealand motorsport.”

Whilst the European season is now officially over for the season, there is plenty of work this year still to be done with Paddon due to compete in Rally of Whangarei in November.

Spectators can rest assured that Paddon will not be slowing down. A good result in Whangarei gives Paddon a chance to add another New Zealand Rally Championship to the résumé, so expect to see Paddon and his Hyundai flying through the rally stages in Northland next month.

Final European Rally Championship driver standings:

• Hayden Paddon – 124 points
• Mathieu Franceschi – 104 points
• Miko Marczyk – 86 points