Preparation is everything, which is why Belgian team Symtech Racing and its new driver Hayden Paddon recently carried out two intensive days of testing in Spain. It was Hayden’s first experience of working with the Grobbendonk-based team and also his first taste of the Subaru Impreza STR11 that he will drive on the Production Car World Rally Championship this year. The focus was on this weekend’s Rally of Portugal, which will be the first PWRC round of the year for Symtech Racing and Hayden Paddon.
The programme for the two days of testing concentrated on finding the best set-up for the Portuguese event and allowing Hayden to get to know a car that he was not yet familiar with. Symtech Racing’s Wim de Boeck was very pleased with the results. "Hayden quickly understood the best way to drive the car, as after just a few hours he was already pushing," said de Boeck. "Our engineer Rui naturally went through the whole programme of settings for the suspension, engine, gearbox and differentials. It was painstaking work but Hayden was pleased and he obviously felt good in the car. We’re really keen to get started now and see his first few stage times in Portugal."
Hayden Paddon added: "This was a great way to get started with my new team and I felt comfortable straight away. Everyone is massively enthusiastic, motivated and professional. The car was also a really pleasant surprise. It’s been very well thought through and put together by the guys at Symtech Racing, with an engine that’s powerful but also very easy to drive. The car feels extremely stable in the quick sections and I soon felt at home. We made a lot of progress during the two days of the test and gained a second and a half per kilometre. Everything seems good and I’m more than ready to make the most of it to fight for the PWRC title this year."
Symtech Racing and Hayden Paddon will begin their 2011 PWRC season this weekend in Portugal. Afterwards they will contest the rallies of Argentina, Finland, Australia and Spain, before ending the year in Great Britain. In tandem to this action-packed programme, Hayden and his co-driver John Kennard will also take part in the New Zealand Rally Championship, also driving a Subaru. They will both be extremely busy, but their priority is the World Rally Championship.
The Rally of Portugal gets underway on Thursday 24 March with a spectator superspecial through the streets of Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Following that, the crews will then contest three days of action on the gravel stages of the Algarve close to Faro. The winner will cross the ramp on Sunday 27 March. Hayden Paddon will carry competition number 38 on this year’s PWRC, which he retains throughout the season.