Hayden Paddon has slipped from second to fifth after suffering heavy external damage to his Hyundai rally car. Photo / Photosport
New Zealander Hayden Paddon's hopes of victory have been dashed on a dramatic final morning of Rally Australia.
Placed third going into the final day, Paddon punctured on the second stage of the morning and limped through to finish ninth, 73sec down on stage winner Andreas Mikkelsen (Volkswagen).
Paddon suffered
external damage on his Hyundai and shredded his left rear tyre after going wide on a turn, bumping him back to fifth place.
"We went wide, touched a bank and knocked the tyre off the rim," he said.
The incident could be a blessing in disguise for Paddon's Hyundai team though.
