The New Zealander will run in full factory colours in next month’s event in a move the 26-year-old has been working towards for some time.
“To say I’m excited is an understatement, but I am also focused on ensuring that we make the most of this opportunity,” he admitted. “I don’t want to just be in a WRC car for a one off event, this is what I want to make my career out of.
“After some discussions, we were offered this great opportunity and it’s amazing to finally get our chance in a WRC car. While it has been a lot of hard work over the past few seasons to get to this point, we are conscious that the level of hard work will in fact increase even further as this is very much our chance to try and showcase what we can do to ultimately move further forward in the sport and towards 2014.”
Paddon admitted that his initial aim was to bring home a finish from his outing in the Fiesta, with his focus also to try and set top five stage times by the end of the weekend.
Paddon and his Blenheim-based, long-term co-driver John Kennard aren’t strangers to the Spanish event which mixes two days of tarmac with a day of gravel stages.
Paddon’s keeping the goals relatively straightforward: first, he aims to finish the rally in order to gain experience. In addition, he aims to secure some top five stage times, mixing it up with some of the best drivers in the world, Sébastien Ogier, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala as well as fellow Qatar M-Sport drivers Mads Østberg and Thierry Neuville.
Paddon will have the benefit of a small test with M-Sport prior to the 24 to 27 October event, trying the 300 hp, 1.6-litre turbo-charged Fiesta on both gravel and tarmac.
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