ERC
Hyundai to count on double ERC champion Paddon in WRC
Hayden Paddon will return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2026 after Hyundai called on the double ERC champion’s pace and pedigree for its third factory entry.
Paddon won the FIA European Rally Championship in 2023 and 2024 having previously competed for Hyundai in the WRC, famously winning Rally Argentina in 2016.
After spending 2025 taking the Australian Rally Championship by storm, Paddon has been confirmed for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s third i20 N Rally1, which he’ll share with ERC podium finisher Dani Sordo and 2014 ERC champion Esapekka Lappi.
Paddon on ERC duty in Wales in 2024
© ERC
Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville, who also built experience competing in the ERC earlier in their careers, are set to contest all 14 rounds of the 2026 WRC season with the South Korean manufacturer.
“I’m very excited to be back with Hyundai Motorsport, eight years after our last event together in the FIA WRC,” said New Zealander Paddon, 38. “Hyundai is a brand I’m very proud of and loyal to after 12 years, and to now be stepping into a Rally1 car is very exciting.
“Our expectations are clear: to do the best job we can to support Hyundai, Thierry and Adrien in their respective championships, and making sure we are collecting as many manufacturers’ points as possible at the end of the weekend.”
Paddon, who will be co-driven by John Kennard, added: “I feel I am a very different driver compared to eight years ago, and the experience I have gained all around the world in different championships puts me in a good place to put that experience to use.”
Former ERC champion Lappi was a winner for Hyundai in the 2024 WRC
© ERC
Finn Lappi, 34, said: “It’s an honour for me to return to Hyundai Motorsport for the 2026 FIA WRC season. I assumed I was finished with WRC, but after numerous discussions with various people, I knew this was a great idea. I’ve still been competing in the Finnish championship, which was a lot of fun, but Cyril’s [Abiteboul] call surprised me and brought me back. I'm as excited as a little boy to get behind the wheel of the Rally1 car again, this time with Enni [Mälkönen] – which is a wonderful new opportunity for her. My win at Rally Sweden in 2024 serves as a great motivation for our 2026 targets, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Lappi’s ERC winners
© ERC
Hyundai Motorsport WRC sporting director Andrew Wheatley said: “We’re delighted to confirm our line-up for the 2026 FIA WRC season, which will see Thierry and Adrien compete in every round with a trio of very experienced and competitive crews sharing our third entry. Bringing in Dani, EP and Hayden enables us to call upon their individual strengths to support our manufacturers’ title ambitions next year. We had a difficult decision to make – whether to opt for experience and consistency, or bring in a rising star and nurture them. However, we are in the last year of the Rally1 technical regulations, and we believe the right path is to bring in drivers with knowledge of the car and the team.”
