Pressured Paddon rallies
White Ferns end with win
Hayden Paddon has given his ongoing contract negotiations with Hyundai a major boost with a season-best finish in the final WRC rally of 2018.
The off-contract Kiwi driver, who is yet to finalise a WRC drive in 2019, has finished second at Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour yesterday.
Under pressure to perform in a bid to win a contract, Paddon stood up when it counted in tough conditions to deliver a potentially career-defining drive under all kinds of expectations.
Paddon was faultless most of the weekend, including yesterday when overnight rain and the odd heavy shower made for dicey conditions and created a drama-packed final few hours of the WRC season.
Toyota’s Jari-Matti Latvala claimed the victory in Rally Australia, 32.5 seconds ahead of Paddon with Mads Ostberg a further 19.7 seconds back in third. Latvala’s victory helped Toyota secure the manufacturers title.
But Latvala’s win was overshadowed by M-Sport Ford’s Se´bastien Ogier clinching his sixth World Rally Championship after finishing back in fifth.
Heading into Rally Australia, Ogier held a 23 point lead in the championship over Paddon’s team-mate Thierry Neuville with a further 20 points back to Ott Ta¨ nak.
Paddon, who had been comfortable in third, was promoted to second in the penultimate stage of the rally when Ta¨ nak went off the road and ended both his rally and slim championship hopes. His mishap handed Ogier the championship before the final stage.
He finished the season with 219 points, 18 clear of Neuville (201) with Ta¨ nak taking third with 181 points.
Paddon, 31, finished the final stage – the power stage – in sixth place, 4.6 seconds behind stage winner Ogier.
Paddon and British co-driver Seb Marshall were the first of the three Hyundai cars home at Rally Australia in what was a polished performance.
The second placing was his best result since being the runner-up in Poland back in July last year.
‘‘This Podium feels proper,’’ Paddon said at the end of the final stage.
‘‘Last couple we’ve had in the year or so we’ve picked up from other people’s problems whereas this weekend it has felt really good.’’
* Mat Kermeen travelled to Coffs Harbour with assistance from WRC. The White Ferns ended their disappointing Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a rout of Ireland. New Zealand won the last Group B match in Guyana yesterday, chasing down just 80 for the win. The did so in only 7.3 overs, reaching 81-2 to secure an eight-wicket win. The White Ferns had no hope of making the semifinals after their losses to India and Australia during the week. Ireland won the toss and chose to bat, but were able to muster only 79-9 in their 20 overs, losing their last seven wickets for just 10 runs. New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine smashed 51, the second equal fastest T20 half-century, reaching the mark in only 21 balls.