Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon has taken his Rally Spain axing on the chin.
The 30-year-old was dumped from the Hyundai World Rally Team for next month's tarmac event in Spain in favour of the recently recruited Andreas Mikkelsen.
Writing on his Facebook page, Paddon accepted the decision.
"Naturally, we are really dissapointed in this decision but also accept we have had a very bad year (for many reasons) and this is the cut throat reality of professional sport," Paddon said.
"But we will not give up - we remain under contract until the end of the 2018 season and still have some rally's remaining this year to show what I know we are capable of.
"This whole situation only fuels the fire more and I will not let 20 years of hard work, tears, sacrifice by myself and many others go to waste over a few bad events."
Paddon is likely to return to the team for the final two rounds of the championship on gravel in Wales and Australia.