July 7th, 2025 – Hayden Paddon has taken out Rally Queensland, round 3 of the Australian Rally Championship, capping off a busy international schedule with a commanding performance on the fast and technical gravel roads of Gympie.

The win sees Paddon strengthen his position in the ARC standings, proving once again his pace on the challenging Australian gravel roads.

“Really happy to get the win here in Queensland,” said Paddon. “It was a great event, and the team delivered a car that gave us the confidence to push. This championship is really competitive, so every rally is a battle and this was no different.”

The Queensland victory comes off the back of a successful European stint, where Paddon returned to tarmac with a vengeance, competing in a pair of highly regarded events with strong international competition.

At the Rally Ypres in Belgium, Paddon delivered a superb drive to finish second overall, demonstrating not only pace but precision on the unforgiving Belgian lanes. Earlier in the month, at the Donegal International Rally, Paddon was among the front-runners and well in contention for a podium finish before retiring on Day 2. Despite the setback, the event offered valuable experience on some very tough roads.

“It was great to be back on European tarmac, and I’m really proud of what we achieved,” said Paddon. “Ypres especially was a highlight, it’s a technical rally with no margin for error, so to come away with second was a great result. Ireland was going really well too until our retirement, but that’s rallying. We banked a lot of learning from both.”

“It’s been a packed calendar lately, but I’m really happy with how the team’s performing,” he added. “We’re pushing hard on all fronts, domestic, regional, and overseas and we are really enjoying being behind the wheel and getting results in such a variety of locations.”

Hyundai New Zealand, long-time supporters of Paddon, say they are thrilled with the recent run of results, particularly on the global stage.

 “Hayden continues to fly the New Zealand flag with distinction, whether it’s Europe, Australia or here at home,” said Leighton Agnew, General Manager of Hyundai New Zealand. “We’re incredibly proud to support a driver and team that consistently competes at the highest level.”