Hayden Paddon has retained his Rally New Zealand second-place finish after successfully returning to the service park.
The Hyundai driver had been in a comfortable second place behind Sebastien Ogier heading onto Sunday’s final stage, Varmullsasen, but clipped marker posts on his run through the powerstage.
Paddon completed the stage but his New Generation i20 WRC was steaming as he stopped in the control zone at the end of the stage, the impact having left a hole in his radiator.
The result therefore remained provisional until he and co-driver John Kennard returned to the service park at the rally base in Karlstad, 54 miles north of the stage end.
Paddon was able to reach service, which confirmed his second World Rally Championship podium, equalling the second place he achieved on Rally Italy last year.
The New Zealander’s result also marks the first time Hyundai has scored podiums on two consecutive rallies in the WRC, with Paddon’s rostrum following Thierry Neuville’s third place on the Monte Carlo Rally three weeks ago.
