Hayden Paddon's second place in Italy caught out the WRC organisers. Photo / Vettas Media
Hayden Paddon's second place in Italy caught out the WRC organisers. Photo / Vettas Media
It's likely the organisers of this week's Rally Australia will have a New Zealand flag on hand. It's not just because of proximity to their transtasman neighbours but because of the possibility of Hayden Paddon finishing the four-day rally on the podium.
Rally Sardinia officials were left red-faced earlier this year when they failed to have a New Zealand flag on hand for Paddon, who had unexpectedly finished second at the World Rally Championship event.
A Kiwi fan holding a New Zealand flag in the crowd saved a few blushes.
"It was a bit humorous," Paddon recalls. "Not something you'd normally see. Bit of Kiwi ingenuity. The fan just picked up the flag and said, 'here, use this one'."
Paddon's success in Sardinia should not have been so unexpected. He had been rising through the rallying ranks and had finally got his hands on a more competitive car, and backed it up in the next event, Rally Poland, with fifth.
Paddon and co-driver John Kennard are 10th in the overall standings and have their sights on a top finish in Australia. It's a race the pair have long targeted.
"It's the event we've got the best chance of getting a good result on this year," he says.
"We need to be realistic, because obviously the competition at this level is pretty fierce so even to try and be on the podium will be a tough ask, but we've done it once this year and this is the best chance we've got to do it again this year. We've got to take that chance."
Paddon has spent his entire life taking a chance on motorsport.
The 28-year-old was already behind the wheel at age six, racing go-karts in the central Canterbury township of Geraldine and learning from his dad, Chris, about how to take care of cars.
Nine years later, he had progressed to rally driving (albeit with L plates in the window) and another five years after that, Paddon achieved his first rally win at Rally Whangarei in 2007. Racing, he says, is his way of life.
"I don't know what I'd do without some sort of motorsport in my life. It'd be a bit empty. I was brought up around it, going along with Dad to rallies when I was in nappies and helping on the car - probably getting in the way more than anything - at a young age, driving as early as I could."
Paddon's parents split when he was young and he would spend weekends with his father, which meant "weekends racing".
"Dad could see I enjoyed cars so he built me a go-kart. It all really started from there."
Like a lot of motorsport, money has been the biggest hurdle in pursuing his dream and Paddon says there were times when he considered quitting because the funding just wasn't there.
"We don't come from a wealthy family. We've had to knock on doors and make phone calls to raise every dollar. It's been really hard.
"If we gave up, I have no idea what I'd be doing. If you just threw it in like that, it would make the whole life a waste of time, almost."
Hayden Paddon (right) and co-driver John Kennard celebrate in Sardinia. Photo / Vettas Media
The more podium finishes he gets, the easier funding is to come by. After a good patch mid-season, a couple of low-placed finishes at European rallies recently haven't deterred Paddon and his team.
They're optimistic their position at Rally Australia (10th) and racing on gravel roads will work in their favour - as long as the weather stays dry.
Growing up driving in New Zealand means Paddon is more familiar with gravel roads than the tarmac in Europe, but rain can make driving on gravel tough.
"It's quite a good road position," he explains. "It will be a bit swept so we'll have more grip than the guys in front. If it's wet, though, it's the opposite effect."
Hayden Paddon's website bio reveals a lot about his personality and standing.
Among the information on how to get started in rallying and what car Paddon drives, he also includes endearingly banal quick facts such as his favourite colour and food (green and bread, by the way). It's not the kind of info a high-profile sports star usually bothers to tell fans and gives the appearance it was done about three years ago.
"I don't even eat bread any more," he laughs. "My diet's a bit stricter now."
Racing requires a surprising level of physical fitness considering it's all done sitting down.
"The temperatures in the car get up to 50 degrees and then the heart rate with the adrenaline ... our heart rates can be averaging 140-ish for a 12-hour period, so you've got to be fit for the fatigue.
"You're not puffing like you would be when you're running but the stress on the body is comparable to biking."
The way Paddon describes his life, flitting from country to country to race million-dollar cars, sounds glamorous. The reality is less so.
"The novelty of the travel has worn off. People will often ask, 'oh, you must get to see lots of parts of the world' but, to be honest, you fly into the rally on the Monday, you're busy the whole seven days of the rally and then you fly out again.
"You're so focused on the job, you sometimes even forget you're in a different country. In hindsight, I should probably enjoy it all a bit more."
Paddon is based in Germany with his long-time girlfriend and marketing manager Katie Lane.
"Katie and I really rely on each other and we get by, but it's not like you can pop round to a mate's house on the weekend and have a catch up."
But Paddon isn't complaining. He says he's just grateful to pursue his passion.
"It's a sacrifice but it's not something I worry about too much. We've got to make the most of the opportunities we have.
"I do this for the pure love of driving. All the other stuff that goes around the edges, the profile and fame, is not something that even crosses my mind."
