Motorsport: 'It'll be an awesome event' - Hayden Paddon revving up ahead of Rally New Zealand return

Hayden Paddon, along with Emma Gilmour, will represent Aotearoa behind the wheel. Photo / photosport.nz

Five-time champion Hayden Paddon says this year's Rally New Zealand will be the highlight of his motorsport career.

The World Rally Championship will return to Auckland for the first time since 2012, with the 11th leg of the WRC running from September 29 to October 2.

Rally New Zealand will be based on the Auckland waterfront with a fanzone set up in Silo Park.

Paddon and Emma Gilmour will represent Aotearoa behind the wheel, with the three stages to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The Hyundai World Rally Team driver says all credit goes to the organisers.

"After 2020 it would have been easy for them to pull the pin but they stuck at it," Paddon said. "It is going to be an awesome event, not only for us as competitors but also as a country. The cars are going to be spectacular and unlike most things people have seen before."

New Zealand alternated hosting rights for the WRC stage with Australia between 2008 and 2012, before it was relocated permanently across the Tasman.

Paddon says bringing rally driving back to Aotearoa casts the sport in a different light.

"When you actually see these cars in the flesh you get a whole new appreciation for them compared to seeing them on TV. It will be an awesome hub down here at the viaduct. It will really embrace the whole central Auckland vibe."

Rally New Zealand CEO Michael Goldstein is hoping the event will provide a boost to the economy.

"Our objective is to have at least 30,000 bed nights in Auckland. That is from a mixture of competitors, media, mechanics and also fans from around the world and New Zealand."

This year also marks a new dawn for the World Rally Championship. Hybrid cars have been introduced in the opening two rounds in Monte-Carlo and Sweden. But Paddon says petrol heads will not be disappointed.

"They are already proven to be faster than the previous cars. A lot of people were sceptical but they are already faster, louder, more spectacular. They are an awesome piece of engineering."

Paddon hopes Rally New Zealand will mirror the success of the America's Cup and inspire the next generation of Kiwi drivers. He says hosting a WRC event is crucial for the future of the sport.

"Kids will come down to the viaduct and see rally cars maybe for the first time out on the stages. They will be inspired to say, 'I want to do that one day'. This is how it all starts."

Whether Rally New Zealand can once again become a staple of the WRC remains to be seen. But Goldstein is confident change is on the horizon.

"We certainly have a lot of momentum. We have a lot of support from our stakeholders. I think there is this inherent passion and love for rallying in New Zealand which maybe is not quite replicated the same across the ditch."