Paddon issues statement about Monte Carlo fatality
Hyundai’s WRC ace Hayden Paddon has issued a statement about his accident on the opening stage of the Monte Carlo Rally, following which a spectator died.
Photo by: Hyundai Motorsport
The New Zealander’s Hyundai i20 Coupe rolled onto its side after sliding wide on an icy left-hand turn near the end of Stage 1.
The damage to the car was superficial and it could have continued, but having issued a statement last night, this morning Hyundai elected to withdraw its #4 car entry as a mark of respect to the dead fan.
Paddon’s own statement reads as follows:
Upon reflection, I wanted to issue a small statement about yesterday’s events.
Firstly our thoughts are with the family and friends of the spectator involved. No matter the circumstances, this is never something we want to see.
Secondly, John and I are humbled by all the messages of support at this time. Obviously my thoughts are with the family and that is my only concern at the moment. Not being able to return home to New Zealand does make it a little tougher but it is important we stay strong.
I do want to take this chance to ask people not to speculate. Irrespective of how and why the accident happened, finger-pointing will not change anything .The most important thing is that we learn from this and I am committed to work with the FIA and rally organizers relentlessly to ensure this does not happen again.
I will take this chance to ask spectators at rallies to please be considerate where you stand and to respect the instructions of the marshals. We all want to enjoy a good show and go home to the family afterwards. I also ask each and every rally fan at the events if you see someone in a dangerous position to request they move for everyone’s best interest. As a community, we can collectively work together to prevent this from happening again.
Lastly, I please ask the respect from the media in these times, especially the for the family and friends of the spectator. I will not issue any further statements or conduct interviews at this stage. We made the decision to not continue this weekend out of respect, but will be back in Sweden where we will pay tribute.
Thank you again for everyone’s support and for the support of the team – it really does mean a lot.
Until Rally Sweden,
Hayden
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