Motorsport: Sordo offers tarmac help for Paddon

Hayden Paddon in action during WRC Sweden. Photo / Red Bull Media

Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon could enlist the help of teammate Dani Sordo as he attempts to improve his ability on tarmac.

Unlike many of his European rivals Paddon is not overly familiar with tarmac surfaces having learned his craft on New Zealand's fast and flowing gravel roads.

To become world champion the 29-year-old knows he needs to improve his tarmac performance and has worked hard on that area of his driving since breaking into the elite level of rallying.

Sordo has long been regarded as one of the sport's premier tarmac drivers and the Spaniard has offered his help to his factory Hyundai teammate.

"I will help Hayden," Sordo told Motorsport Monday magazine. "Already I do this, whenever he comes to me to ask for help I give it to him. He will be a future world champion; he's very fast, his concentration is incredible - he is a proper professional.

"He and co-driver John Kennard work so hard in everything they do. I want to see them become world champion, they deserve it. I invite them to my home to do karting, it's nice if you can help people and I want to help them."

Paddon will contest this week's Rally Mexico - a high altitude gravel event - but is hoping to fit in a tarmac rally before the WRC's next event - Rally Corsica, which is the first tarmac event of the year.

"We don't need to be using a World Rally Car," said the Kiwi. "It's not about the car, it's about the grip and how the tyre works. I'm hoping to get an event in before Corsica, but nothing is confirmed yet."

Paddon is grateful for Sordo's help and friendship.

"It's always humbling to have that kind of support from team-mates. Dani's great; even when we're on the rallies, he's always looking at the data with me - we have a great relationship.

"I know I'm still a way off on asphalt, but I'm moving in the right direction. Straight out of the box, I'm probably not as fast as some of the others, which is why I have to keep working at it. And that's what I'm going to do."