New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon is leading Rally Italia Sardengna after the first day of action.
Hayden Paddon during Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: McKlein Photography.
Despite a suspension issue later in the day Paddon and co-driver Sebastian Marshall managed to take an 8.2 second lead over the rest of the field.
"Today's stages were very tight and technical and maybe didn't suit us, but we had a plan which was to keep it clean and tidy.
"It's been a tough day but I'm really happy to be leading at the end of it," Paddon said.
He said having the lead makes him want to fight even harder tomorrow.
"We'll push a lot more and see if we can defend it, I'm looking forward to a good day tomorrow and to continue like this."
Hyundai team-mate Thierry Neuville slotted into second place on Friday's final stage after the rally's top five reshuffled several times throughout the day.
-RNZ
