Rally Argentina Review: Paddon Takes First Win as Latvala Crashes Out
- Linsay Weston
- Apr 27, 2016
- 3 min read
As predicted, Argentina again threw up a surprise to disrupt the normal procedures in the WRC, With New Zealander, Hayden Paddon taking a nail-biting first career victory over the defending series champion Sébastien Ogier.
Despite carrying a 29 second lead into the final day, The Hyundai factory driver only sealed the victory with a spectacular drive in the rally’s power stage finale, which he and co-driver, John Kennard, won by an incredible 11 seconds in front of an estimated 65,000 fans.
It is the first ever win for 29 year old Paddon and the first in an official points paying round of the WRC for a New Zealand driver.
“I can’t believe it!” a jubilant Paddon said when speaking to media at the end of the stage. “It’s a special result for the whole team. It all came down to the power stage. We pushed rally hard and really drove the wheels off the car! I am thankful to everyone who has supported us”.
It was also the second win for the Hyundai Motorsport group in 16 years of on and off appearances.
“A huge amount of work has gone into the new generation i20,” said Paddon. “I knew from the first test that we could win with it but I didn’t quite expected to come so soon. Everyone in the team thoroughly deserves this result. I’m sure it’s the start of a lot more to come.”
An ecstatic Hyundai Team Principle, Michel Nandan, also said: “This is a rally weekend we will never forget. Hayden has put in the performance of his career. We’ve worked hard on the new generation i20 WRC so to see the fruit of our work is very special.”
Volkswagen front man, Ogier’s Argentina winless streak continued. The Frenchman came up one place short again, despite reducing the gap to his young rival to 2.1 seconds before the commencement of the power stage.
An unimpressive last run through the final test, combined with an electrifying drive from Kiwi Paddon, gave Ogier his third runner-up place on the rally, by 14.3 seconds.
Ogier said: “It is not usually a good feeling for a driver to be beaten by an opponent. This time, however, it is easier to accept.
“Hayden and I had exactly the same conditions out on the route: he went absolutely all-out on the Power Stage, and was simply better. Respect for that performance.
“For me, this will serve as a great motivation to once again give it my all at the coming rallies, in order to get back on the top step of the podium. The stages were extremely difficult and rough, which is possibly why I did not risk everything.”
Volkswagen’s third driver, Andreas Milkkelsen rounded out the podium in third – just over a minute behind the winner – his 16th top three finish in 28 starts for the Wolfsburg based team.
Hyundai’s experienced Dani Sordo finished fourth, with M-Sport Ford Driver Mads Østberg rounding out the top five.
But the story of the rally was again another crucial error made by Flying Finn Jari-Matti Latvala, when he rolled his Volkswagen on SS14 while holding a 14.5 second lead.
“No question, to retire whilst leading is bitterly disappointing,” said a dejected Latvala.
“This is not what we had in mind for the Rally Argentina. We hit a rock on the 14th stage of the rally, which broke something on the car and ended up with us rolling.”
The incident was costly to the VW driver, who – despite winning the preceding round in Mexico – finds himself trailing substantially in the championship again.
Starting the season as one of the favorites to topple the reigning champion, and current championship leader, Ogier, he now sits sixth, a whopping 69 points behind his teammate.
Paddon’s win elevates the Hyundai driver above a consistent Østberg who drops to third. Mikkelson and Sordo sit fourth and fifth respectively, with Thierry Neuville a disappointing eighth behind M-Sport cast-away, Ott Tanak.
If Paddon took the award for drive of the rally, then local hero Marcos Ligato was a close second, as the Argentinean took a fine seventh overall – just 9 seconds adrift of Neuville’s factory Hyundai – in his Citroen DS3, with an excellent performance. It was a welcome throw-back to the days when local experts would constantly feature in the final standings.
Peruvian, Nicolas Fuchs, won the WRC2 event with a tenth-overall performance and Michel Fabre took the honors in WRC3.
In the manufacturer’s championship, VW still hold the top spot, but Hyundai are still maintaining the battle, trailing by just 36 points
The Championship moves on to another classic gravel event next – the 50th edition of the Rally de Portugal, beginning on May 20.
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