Hayden Paddon: WRC Rally de Espana

So the time has finally come for our debut event in a WRC car here at Rally Spain as part of the M-Sport Qatar World Rally Team.

After a good week last week with some training at Formula Medicine in Italy, we arrived into Spain on Saturday. Yesterday we got our first taste of the Ford Fiesta WRC car during a small test just outside the rally base of Salou.

As the first two days of the rally are on tarmac, our test was conducted on tarmac. It was amazing feeling to be behind the wheel of a WRC car and within the environment of a very professional team. Getting up to speed with the car did not take as long as I thought it may take, as after the first few runs I was starting to feel comfortable with the speed difference and the handling. For the rest of the day we were able to target specific areas of the car to improve to suit my driving style and by the end of the day I had a car that I was very confident in.

While the handling of the WRC car is similar to the S2000 cars that we are used to, the obvious main difference is the power. However as the engine horsepower is not hugely different, the outright speed down straights was not that different. However, where the massive difference is in with the engine torque with the turbo. We are talking 3 times the amount of engine torque meaning the amount of corner speed you can carry is increased and the corner exit speed is hugely faster. In fact with the amount of torque and responsiveness of the engine, it is almost an easier car to drive. With the extra speed will come extra commitment to get the most out of the car which will come with more time in the seat.

You can check out our test video here:

Now we have 2 days of recce ahead of us which will be more important than ever. As the rally speeds will be higher, the smaller details in the notes will become more important. It will be full concentration.

Come the rally it is difficult to know how we will compare at this early stage. However, to start with we just need to do our own thing, learn the car and build up towards the Saturday stages, which I know well. Then Sunday will be a real lottery for us as we have never driven the car on gravel, so it will be a matter of feeling our way into the gravel stages.

All in all we are feeling really good, car feels amazing and most importantly I am confident behind the wheel of the WRC car.

A huge thanks to everyone that has made this opportunity possible, from everyone at home, all our partners and shareholders and in particular VINZ and Pak’N Save.

It promises to be an exciting weekend and as always we will keep you posted.