Paddon says focus already on 2018 season

The Hyundai driver has struggled to get comfortable with the i20 Coupe WRC while also suffering a dip in form and a number of teething troubles with the new car.

The combination of those issues has left Paddon trailing his pace-setting teammate Thierry Neuville by 105 points with three rallies remaining.

Paddon told Motorsport.com: "Next year was always the target year, and that doesn't change. I don't know what's happened this year, we must have seriously pissed somebody off for the luck we've had.

"But now we've just got to put it behind us, stay positive and look forwards.

"Germany was always going to be a difficult event for us with the changeable conditions and the rain on day one turned the roads into a mud bath and cost us time.

"The encouraging thing for me was the speed we could show when the roads dried out a bit on Saturday and Sunday – once the grip level was more consistent then we were able to show what we'd learned about driving on Tarmac and set some top-three stage times.

"There's no doubt this is a frustrating season for us, of course it is, we've missed so many miles in the car this year and that's been one of the big issues for us.

"We've made some good changes to the car since Portugal and we've found some real pace on gravel, but now everything is directed towards Monte next year."

Paddon went home to New Zealand following Rally Germany but misfortune followed him onto Saturday's Coromandel Rally, where he was leading the North Island event before he slipped off the road in his Hyundai i20 AP4+.

The undamaged car couldn't be put back on the road without the help of spectators.

Paddon has retired from four WRC rounds this season and visited the podium only once when he finished second at Rally Poland.