Hayden Paddon has delivered an asphalt-driving masterclass to enter the final day of Rali Ceredigion with a healthy lead of over a minute.
With co-driver John Kennard at his side in BRC Racing’s Hyundai i20 N Rally2, Paddon was fastest on seven of Saturday’s eight special stages to add to his 1.3-second advantage following Friday’s two runs.
The reigning European Rally Championship winner now has a 1 minute 18.7 seconds advantage over Britain’s Christopher Ingram, with only four stages remaining.
“We pushed hard [in qualifying] yesterday to get that advantage with our road position, and we’ve been trying to make the most of it,” said Paddon.
“Everything is working so much better on this rally with the car, and it’s making my job a lot easier. It’s been a pretty good day, no doubting about that, but it’s not so enjoyable now [having to manage a big lead].”
The Kiwi’s closest ERC rival, Mathieu Franceschi, is third overall, 1min 27.4sec off the pace. While Paddon has a healthy lead, the fight between the top six is tight, with just 14.5sec between them.
Only local James Williams could better Paddon on any special stage, leading home the field by 4.2 seconds on the first pass of the 19.75km Brechfa.
The reigning champion responded on SS4, adding 10 seconds to his advantage, which he gradually extended over the remainder of the day.
Sunday’s action commences with a 10.74 km pass on Bethania at 7.30 pm NZST, with the Power Stage, which concludes the rally, scheduled to begin at 1.05 am NZST.
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