Hayden Paddon during the shakedown of the WRC Portugal. Photo / Getty Images
Firstly, my apologies for our recent silence following the previous rally, but it has been important for our preparations - to lay low in order to move forward. I can now safely say the outcomes of the previous two events are well and truly behind us and we are now
looking forward as much as ever to Rally Poland this week.
Obviously there was a bit of emotion shed at the last event, which when put into perspective some people may wonder why when its part of the sport. However what some don't realise that this is not just a sport for us, it's a lifestyle and a massive sacrifice for myself and many others that we are here. When we have bad results it's a reflection of weak points or failure, which I don't easily accept. However on the flip side, and as Possum use to say, these sort of moments only make the high points feel that much better.
I can safely say we are all the more stronger, determined and focused than ever. However, in saying that it is a matter of this weekend taking a small step back, going back to basics and simply enjoying the driving again. And on an event like this, it's easy to do. Poland is one of the fastest rallies on the calendar, which fits my natural style better. We also had a good test last week in Poland where we were able to fine-tune the settings to allow for the extra precision you need from the car on such a high-speed event.
A huge thanks for everyone's continued support and for the awesome team we have around us here at Hyundai Motorsport who continue to all dig deeper to help me. As a team, we have won 2 of the last 3 events, which is a clear sign that things are on the right track. However in this game you can never rest, and work is continuing to try and find more speed and more steps. Poland is a different challenge to the previous 6 events, but I feel it will showcase stronger than ever the good parts of our 2016 NGi20 WRC car.
