Share

Kiwi Paddon holds off Ogier in Argentina

Villa Carlos Paz - Hayden Paddon kept world champion Sebastien Ogier at bay to win the Rally of Argentina on Sunday for his first world rally championship success.

The Hyundai driver, tipped as a future world champion, inherited a handsome lead after Jari-Matti Latvala crashed out in his VW Polo on Saturday.

And he held his nerve over the three closing stages although he had a scare on the fourth day's opener when he lost time to Ogier after a gearbox change.

He took fourth in that stage 16 and then third in the next special won by Ogier who had started the day half a minute behind but was now bang in the hunt only 2.6sec shy of the New Zealander.

The 29-year-old Paddon kept his cool to clock the quickest time in the concluding power stage in El Condor to win his first WRC rally by 14sec.

Ogier, who was left looking for his first victory in Argentina, leads the drivers' standings by 96 points with Paddon moving up to 57 and Norway's Mads Ostberg on 52.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE