ERC – Paddon makes it seven out of seven with Welsh wonder drive

Hayden Paddon became the seventh different winner of the eight-event 2024 FIA European Rally Championship season with a standout victory on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion today (Sunday).

The Pirelli-equipped BRC Racing Team driver, who strengthens his grip on a second consecutive ERC title as a result, led the spectacular Tarmac event from start to finish as the championship returned to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2016 in style.

Andrea Mabellini banked his maiden ERC podium finish for Team MRF Tyres after climbing from fourth to second on the Power Stage with Michelin-equipped Mathieu Franceschi returning to the podium for the first time since Rally Islas Canarias in May in third.

While the race to win the overall ERC title heads to Rally Silesia in Poland next month, Mille Johansson is the provisional winner of the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship for 2024 and the accompanying FIA Junior WRC prize drive for 2025.

And there were more title celebrations when Filip Kohn secured the points he needed to put the FIA ERC3 Championship beyond doubt by finishing second in class.

Co-driven by fellow New Zealander John Kennard, Paddon began Sunday’s deciding leg with a commanding lead of 1min 18.7sec over Chris Ingram, the 2019 ERC champion, having won all but one of Saturday’s eight stages.

But when Ingram crashed heavily on the day’s opening test, Paddon’s advantage out front increased to 1min 30.8sec. Even when the onset of rain made for slippery conditions and changeable grip levels through SS13, Paddon maintained his composure, adding the Power Stage win – and five bonus points – to his list of impressive achievements in Wales.

He heads to the all-new Rally Silesia in Poland from 11 – 13 October leading the provisional standings by 27 points over Franceschi. With a maximum of 35 points still on offer, a second consecutive ERC crown for Paddon is by no means secure.

“It was a very good weekend,” said Paddon, who piloted his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 to victory by 1min 47.3sec. “Everything has just gone like clockwork. It’s full credit to the guys in the team because they’ve been working hard all year to get things dialled in with the car and everything has clicked a lot, even this weekend. Not only the car but the tyres have been working well in the conditions, the pacenotes, John, when everything works it’s easy. We’ve been chasing this feeling for quite a while and finally this weekend we got that feeling.”

Behind third-placed Franceschi, Miko Marczyk started the Power Stage in second place but the two-time Polish champion couldn’t hold on and settled for fourth instead. The result rules Marczyk out of the title fight for 2024.

“We took four wet tyres and two slicks [for the final loop],” Franceschi said. “The first stage of the loop was fully wet and we did quite an okay job there. But it was two hours before the Power Stage and I decided to stay on the wet tyre. Probably if we had put two slicks then [the podium] was possible to get.”

Callum Devine finished fifth as Jon Armstrong battled back from several delays on day one to finish sixth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2. Two-time Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce was next up.

Matt Edwards, who took a maiden ERC stage win on SS13, finished eighth with Meirion Evans ninth and FIA ERC3 winner Jakub Matulka completing the top 10. Keith Cronin, who was fifth after leg one, crashed out on SS11.

While Matulka took the ERC3 win, fellow Ford Fiesta Rally3 runner Filip Kohn became provisional champion for 2024 in second place. Opel Corsa Rally4-driving Mille Johansson clinched a provisional FIA ERC4/FIA Junior ERC title double after Max McRae took the event victory in a Peugeot 208 Rally3.

The 2024 FIA European Rally Championship title-deciding Rally Silesia takes place in Poland from October 11-13.