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Rally Sweden key to move on from Monte Carlo tragedy for Paddon

Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon says his Rally Sweden points finish helped him move forward from the Monte Carlo accident in which a spectator died.

Paddon admitted the first part of the Swedish event - his first competitive outing since the crash on the opening Monte stage - did not feel right for him.

"That was one tough Rally Sweden, in more ways than one," said Paddon, who finished seventh.

"But to come away with a finish and some points has a lot more significance than what some people may think.

"Going into the rally I also knew it was going to be tough.

"However, our preparation and test went well and I was positive we could try and repeat our performance of last year [where he finished second] on a rally I enjoy.

"But those hopes were dashed almost from shakedown; straight away back in competition everything felt foreign and unnatural."

Paddon made changes to the car and felt more comfortable as the rally progressed.

His only issue during the event was the loss of power steering through Saturday morning's loop.

"Mentally it's been a lot better since Friday afternoon," he added.

"We had lots of things that didn't go our way on Saturday, but from a mental perspective I feel a lot more relaxed and more normal now and that's what we need now going forward for the rest of the year."

Zdroj: autosport.com