Kiwi rally ace Hayden Paddon is celebrating his second straight European championship crown, after placing third at the season-ending event in Poland.
Needing a top-five finish to clinch the title, Paddon and co-driver John Kennard qualified fourth quickest and built a 6.8s lead, winning five of the eight stages contested on day one.
"To be leading was more than we expected," said Paddon. "Everything felt really good in the car, which made our job easier, and we were able to push without taking any risks."
Weather conditions deteriorated the next day, convincing the Kiwis to back off and preserve their Hyundai i20 car.
"When the rain set in, it made things very challenging. We had a few little moments, scares and a couple of spins, which was a bit of a reality check.
"We’re here with one goal — to win the championship — so had to dial it down a bit to make sure we cruised through the last stage to get home and wrap up the championship."
Paddon, 37, took his Italian-based BRC Racing Team to victory last year, winning the opening event in Portugal, then finishing top three in the next five rounds.
This year's campaign was less convincing, with a third-placed finish in Sweden and a win in Wales last month propelling him into the top spot.
Paddon needed to cover the challenge of nearest challenger Frenchman Mathieu Franceschi, who eventually finished fifth in Poland. He became the first driver since Pole Kajetan Kajetanowicz in 2016 and the first-ever non-European to defend their success on the continent.
Paddon and Kennard will return to the final round of the NZ Rally Championships in Whangarei next month.
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