Hayden Paddon will enter next month’s Ypres Rally with a BMA-run Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
Two-time ERC champion and former Hyundai WRC factory driver Hayden Paddon will compete at this year’s Ypres Rally. The iconic rally is the sixth round of the Belgian Rally Championship, which is currently led by former F1 driver Jos Verstappen. Verstappen competed in 4 of the first 5 rallies so far this season, and won them all. In 2021 and 2022, the event was part of the WRC.
“When I received the invitation to start in Ypres, I didn’t hesitate for a moment,” Paddon said. “I lived in Germany near Alzenau for years, and in recent years I have often travelled back to Europe for the European Championship. But this season, it will be my first rally on European soil. I am already looking forward to the special atmosphere in Ypres and the warm welcome by the fans, who are always there in large numbers. What I can mainly remember from my participation in 2013 is that the course is very treacherous and fast,” the two-time ERC champion said.
Paddon’s 2013 Ypres outing, with a Ford Fiesta S2000, marked ‘a turning point in my career,’ Paddon: “That participation was a turning point in my career. Thanks to the Belgian team, Symtech Racing and the confidence I received from Alain Penasse, I then got my chance at Hyundai and experienced five fantastic seasons in the World Championship. With this drive in Ypres, the circle is complete.”
The 2025 Ypres Rally is run from June 27-28 with shakedown and qualifying scheduled on the 26th. 224.98 competitive kilometres are set to be covered over 18 stages.
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