Hayden Paddon and local co-driver Kris D’alleine are set to compete in the 61st edition of the Ardeca Ypres Rally this weekend in Belgium (26-27 June 2026) with summer heat likely to provide a challenge for competitors.
“Great to be back in Belgium for Rally Ypres week,” commented Paddon. “Today we got some miles behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20N Rally2 car, and for Kris and I to work together for the first time. This is Kris D’alleine 20th time doing this rally, so has a lot of experience, now we both just need to learn a bit of Flemish and Kiwi language together”
The Kiwi World Rally Championship driver made an impressive return to the Westhoek last year after a ten-year absence, showing tremendous pace in the BMA-run Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Paddon led half of the event before eventually being forced to concede on Saturday afternoon under the relentless pressure from Stéphane Lefebvre. After the finish, Paddon made a promise to return to Ypres “to win.”
“It’s always great to come back to Ypres,” said Paddon. “I have fantastic memories from both my appearances here, in 2013 and again last year. I honestly didn’t expect us to be so competitive last year, so naturally I’m setting the bar a little higher this time and aiming to go one better, although I realise the competition will probably be even stronger.
“I always enjoy pushing myself to find that little bit extra pace. I’m also really looking forward to working with Kris D’alleine for the first time, and I’d like to thank everyone who made this programme possible.”
Kris D’alleine is equally enthusiastic about the upcoming rally with Paddon.
“Exactly 20 years ago, I contested my very first rally as a co-driver here in Ypres, in the Historic Rally, in a VW Golf GTI. It has always been a dream of mine to celebrate my 20th anniversary in Ypres alongside a top-level driver.
“A lot of hard work has gone into making this project happen over the past few months, and fortunately the Ardeca Ypres Rally fitted into Hayden Paddon’s schedule. Together with Hayden, I want to challenge for victory in Ypres, having already won the Historic event here in 2018.
“For the first time, I’ll be calling pacenotes in English. After 20 years, I know the traps and challenges of Ypres very well, while Hayden’s raw speed as a WRC driver speaks for itself. I’m convinced this combination can work,” said Kris D’alleine.
With Grégoire Munster also having announced his participation in Ypres in another BMA Hyundai, the stage is already set for a WRC-level showdown between the New Zealander and the Belgian-Luxembourg driver. Also in the field are former WRC stars Stéphane Lefebvre (Toyota Yaris GR, Kris Meeke (Porsche 992 Rally GT) and Quentin Gilbert.
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