WRC Paraguay: Hayden Paddon leads as brutal morning forces several retirements
Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon led a World Rally Championship event for the first time since Portugal 2018 after emerging from a brutal morning at Rally Paraguay that decimated the Rally1 field. Paddon and co-driver John Kennard were the only Rally1 crew to avoid trouble across four stages that resulted in Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and reigning world champion ... Keep reading
Hayden Paddon emerged as the leader of the Rally Paraguay after a grueling morning session that saw several drivers retire. Hyundai's Takamoto Katsuta rolled his car during the opening stage, followed by Hyundai's Thierry Neuville who suffered a puncture and broken suspension. Sebastien Ogier, the reigning world champion, also retired after multiple issues including a puncture and a collision with Martijn Wydaeghe.
M-Sport-Ford's Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong also retired due to tyre issues and mechanical problems. Paddon finished the day 23.9 seconds ahead of Josh McErlean, with reigning WRC2 champion Elfyn Evans in third place. The rally's unpredictable conditions, including crashes, tyre issues, and mechanical failures, made it a challenging event for all the drivers.
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