Hayden Paddon is looking into running his own WRC team when the new regulations arrive - and he might drive for it, too
Photography by Tayler Burke & Hyundai
Words by Luke Barry
The World Rally Championship really hasn’t seen enough of Hayden Paddon in recent years.
His last appearance was 2022; his last consistent program 2018. And sadly, turning 39 years old means he’s no longer at the top of the wishlist of any manufacturer.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t drive at all.
“Hey look, if Séb can still be driving, what’s he now, 41? And Dani [Sordo] is doing things too. That means I’ve got a few more years maybe…” Paddon smiled.
Paddon’s known to be considering creating, and running, a New Zealand-based team to compete in the WRC when the 2027 regulations come on-song.
But what he’s now told DirtFish is he’d consider driving for it, too.
Paddon's last top-flight start in the WRC was seven years ago
“I wouldn’t rule out both [driving and running the team] to begin with,” Paddon explained.
“But at the end of the day, if we’re gonna be able to put a team together, and I do say if – there’s a lot that goes into trying to make this happen, and obviously the financial part of it’s going to be the biggest aspect. But if we can do it, then I’m going to do the best that works for the team.
“So if I can be competitive, I’m going to back myself. If I can’t, then I’m going to make sure we put someone in that can do it, because at the end of the day, as a team, we want to deliver results, whatever that might be, and whatever those targets might be.
“So yeah, I’d back myself to begin with, but long term the idea is to run more than one car. That’s what makes it more financially viable. However, never say never.”
Paddon is still operating at a very high level as a driver – winning the European Rally Championship back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, and leading the Australian Rally Championship this year on his first attempt.
He was also second at Belgium’s Ypres Rally and was on the pace at the Donegal International Rally in Ireland when he visited Europe earlier this summer.
Competing in the northern hemisphere remains a target, but Paddon doesn’t have a specific plan.
“At this stage, I’m sort of open to anything,” he said. “I just want to keep myself rally fit, I guess, and current. And to be honest, I love experiencing new rallies. It just challenges you and pushes you, and you get to meet a lot more new people and things.
“And I guess this next year or two is a bit of a fill gap, if you like, if that’s what you want to call it, before we hopefully can try and embark on this new WRC adventure that we’d like to try and put together.
“So yeah it’s just a matter of the next two years, putting a whole lot of pieces of the puzzle together and seeing where it takes us.”
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Hayden Paddon, WRC, WRC 2027
Publish Date September 6, 2025 DirtFish
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