Looking at NZ online media this morning there is either little or no mention of World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon competing at the all important Wales Rally GB. This round of the WRC is crucial for Paddon and could be a determining factor for his 2019 season.
This is a major motorsport event, so why such little coverage? There was a rally preview released earlier in the week so the info is out there. It is not just about Paddon as there is very little coverage on Brendon Hartley competing in the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
What are they saying:
– nzherald.co.nz highlights the failure of SKY TV to secure the 2019 F1 rights, no Paddon and no Hartley previews
– stuff.co.nz has the latest news on Thursday practice for Bathurst. They do have a paragraph on Paddon and Hartley in their Pitstop Diary column but no headlines
– driven.co.nz has the latest news from Thursday practice at Bathurst but no Paddon in Wales preview, no Hartley news from Japan
– velocitynews.co.nz has plenty from Bathurst; no Paddon news, nothing on the Japanese GP
– motornews.co.nz again, no Paddon in Wales preview, nothing on Hartley
– nzmotorracing.co.nz does have a Wales Rally GB preview written by Kate Gordon-Smith; there is also a preview of Hartley in Japan
– Here at talkmotorsport.co.nz we have an opinion piece written by Peter Whitten titled ‘Could Rally GB be a career defining event for Paddon?‘ We also look at Brendon Hartley in Japan ‘Hartley set to make Kiwi motorsport history in Japan‘
What do we conclude from all this: It is all about Bathurst!
I’m not sure if it is a reflection on mainstream online media or that motorsport fans rate Bathurst higher than a Kiwi in F1 or WRC.
Personally I rate F1 and WRC higher. It is not everyday that we will see Kiwis competing at the highest level. There will always be Kiwis competing in a Bathurst 1000.
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