Kiwi rallying duo Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard will kick off their 2023 FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) campaign this weekend.
The ERC Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras in Fafe, northern Portugal, will open this year’s season and consists of 17 special stages totalling 180.29km.
Paddon will be driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally 2 car prepared by Italian team BRC in seven of the eight ERC events. The team will also be assisted by Paddon’s Hyundai New Zealand Rally team.
“While there wasn’t much we could conclude from the very wet and muddy conditions for our test, the car feels like our New Zealand one and it’s been great to get to know everyone from BRC,” Paddon said.
“We’re expecting similar conditions for the rally so it may be more of a matter of survival to get to the finish.”
Paddon has already gotten a taste of what lays ahead for this weekend’s rally after he took to the stages during reconnaissance on Thursday, European time.
Friday will see competitors set a qualifying time on one stage which will determine the order in which drivers can choose their road position for Saturday’s start list, according to Hyundai New Zealand.
The rally kicks off with a 1.43km super special stage on Friday evening in the middle of Fafe.
On Saturday, drivers will race across eight stages throughout the day with two runs over a loop of four stages.
Sunday’s schedule also has two runs over a set of four stages, including the 14.9km Lameirinha stage with its iconic Pedra Sentada jump, which has been part of European rallying folklore for decades.
Header Image: FIA ERC – European Rally Championship Facebook
