Hayden Paddon sits third in the Rally Islas Canarias standings, 12.1 seconds off the lead entering the final day of proceedings this evening.
French driver Yoann Bonato is on top after the opening seven stages, holding a slender 0.3-second advantage over compatriot Mathieu Franceschi.
Just 40 seconds separate the top 15 of the rally.
With long-serving co-driver John Kennard by his side in BRC Racing’s Hyundai i20N Rally2, Paddon held the overnight lead entering the first full day of action. He had topped the opening 1.80-kilometre SSS1, which featured an indoor section inside the Gran Canaria Arena.
“There’s so many people out here and it’s great for the atmosphere. It’s made me excited for the morning now,” he said following the stage win.
On returning the following day, Paddon quickly acknowledged that his car’s balance was off, having finished 12th on the first pass of the 14.83km Santa Lucia stage to drop to fifth overall.
He lost further time on the first pass of the 11.07 km Tejeda in tenth before recovering on the 21.15km Galdar in sixth, which elevated him to fourth overall at midday.
Paddon was then fifth on the second run of Santa Lucia before finishing eighth on SS6 and third on SS7.
“This morning, I was struggling and couldn’t get any rhythm,” he said.
“Thanks to the changes the guys in the team made I’ve got more rhythm this afternoon. This confidence helps for tomorrow.”
The final day of action begins at 8.17 pm, featuring two passes on the 9.41km Arucas, 27.7km Moya-Valleseco and 11.5km San Mateo-Valsequillo stages.
Rally.tv will stream the event for subscribers with a paid subscription.
Header Image: European Rally Championship
