Paddon crashes out of Rally Finland

Hayden Paddon crashed out of Rally Finland.

The Dungannon man attempted to work on his vehicle but to no avail.

Finnish driver Juho Hanninen is best of the rest in seventh in his Ford auto. From there on we were just passengers.

Paddon is one of 16 WRC competitors to tackle the second day’s stages which comprise nearly half the rally’s competitive distance, and all tackled with no opportunity for service from the moment drivers leave Jyväskylä in the morning until they return in the evening.

“There are drivers pushing beyond the limits, and this is the only way to set fast times at Rally Finland which is full of blind corners, blind crests and high jumps across forests and dense trees”.

“Super specials aren’t really my thing”.

“In general we feel very confident; our goal is to end the race with the highest number of points for Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, strengthening our overall standing in the championship”. “Under the conditions and without testing for the event, that’s about as good as we could have hoped for”.

The event finishes with two final stages on Sunday.

“Germany will be a different kettle of fish being back on the tarmac, but it’s a surface I have to learn more about and get more experience of. Without it maybe we could’ve been fighting at the front, but I’m happy”.

Frenchman Latvala, the reigning world champion and championship leader, has won five of the seven rounds to date, but trails his Volkswagen team-mate Sebastien Ogier.

Paddon had been the leading vehicle of the three Hyundais, which is now occupied by Belgium’s Thierry Neuville in fourth.