Hayden Paddon Stands Alone in Refusing to Blame Tires for Issues

Pulse Sports Team 12:10 - 29 August 2026

Tire issues plagued last season's debut of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Paraguay, but this time, almost no driver escaped trouble. Many leading names sharply criticized Hankook's products, yet the rally's surprise star, Hayden Paddon, refused to join the chorus of complaints.

Paddon even held the lead before a puncture on Friday evening dropped him to second. Despite this, he trails rally leader Sami Pajari of Toyota by just over ten seconds. Paddon, who competes on a limited WRC schedule, is tackling his first gravel rally of the season in Paraguay.

"I haven't driven enough on this tire at other gravel rallies to know what's normal and what's not. Everyone had this problem. At least it didn't just happen to one person. We were all affected, which, of course, we don't want to see in rallying, but I'm sure there are many different circumstances surrounding all of this," Paddon noted.

"It's hot. The road temperature is very high, and the surfaces are highly abrasive. Nevertheless, I would have thought they had similar conditions in Greece, and the tire was fine there."

The weather is set to add another layer of complexity today and especially tomorrow, with heavy rainfall expected. Paddon therefore emphasized the importance of a measured approach.

"This rally won't be over until the very last stage. Even a 1 or 2-minute lead right now isn't secure. So, I think we need to take it day by day, just to get through the stages. The approach is a bit like the Dakar Rally," Paddon summarized.

"We're just trying to play the long game, not looking at individual stage times and things like that, because ultimately, that's not what's going to win the rally right now. Maybe on Sunday, but for now, we have to play the long game."