New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon has finished fifth in Rally Sweden.
Hayden Paddon. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Paddon was third at one stage over the weekend but dropped a couple of places over the last two days.
His Hyundai team-mate Thierry Neuville took the lead in the world rally championship from Sebastien Ogier after winning in Sweden.
The Belgian mastered the snowy conditions to finish 19.8 seconds clear of Citroen's Craig Breen, a career-best result for the Irishman, and go 10 points clear after the second race of the season.
Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen was third for Hyundai.
Defending champion Ogier, who won last month's opening Monte Carlo round, finished 10th for M-Sport Ford but took four bonus points for finishing second in the final power stage won by Toyota's Esapekka Lappi.
Neuville, only the third non-Nordic driver to win in Sweden, took two bonus points.
Paddon says he's annoyed he made a mistake and stalled the car on the 19th stage, but is happy with a top five finish.
He won't compete in the next three rounds with his next event in Portugal in May.
Paddon, who didn't compete in the first round, is ninth in the championship standings.
-RNZ/Reuters
