Leading overnight after setting the pace on both runs through Friday evening’s Aberystwyth super special, Paddon was initially pegged back by fellow Hyundai runner James Williams on SS3. But the Pirelli-equipped New Zealander was soon back on winning form, setting the pace on all countryside-based stages run thereafter. 

“We pushed hard [in qualifying] yesterday to get that advantage with our road position and we’ve been trying to make the most of it,” said BRC Racing Team-run Paddon, who added two further stage wins to his tally on back-to-back runs of the Aberystwyth street stage.

“Everything is working so much better on this rally with the car and it’s making my job a lot easier. It’s been a pretty good day, no doubting about that, but it’s not so enjoyable now [having to manage a big lead].”

While Paddon was comfortably clear at the front, the battle for the positions behind him was incredibly close with just 14.5sec blanketing the remainder of the top six.

Chris Ingram, who won the FIA European Rally Championship title in 2019, is second overall and celebrating after banking maximum British championship leg points in his Michelin-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, which he’s driving on asphalt in competition mode for the first time.

“It’s been a really tough day, a bit of a test really,” Briton Ingram said. “We’ll reset and push a bit harder tomorrow.

Fifth heading into Saturday’s action, Simone Tempestini moved into third on SS7 on his debut in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 run on MRF Tyres. But it all went wrong for the eight-time Romanian champion when he completed SS8 with damaged right-rear suspension. 

“It was a left corner with some mud, I started to slide a bit and we went into the grass,” Tempestini said. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but we hit something and it looks like the suspension has some problem.”

Tempestini’s delay promoted Keith Cronin into third, but the Irishman lost time on the day-ending street stages and fell to fifth behind ERC title contender Mathieu Franceschi and Miko Marczyk. Cronin is attempting to win a record-equalling fifth British title but reported lacking confidence this morning.

Andrea Mabellini is sixth for Team MRF Tyres with Callum Devine in seventh followed by two-time Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce. Jon Armstrong battled back from a spin and damaged front-right tyre to complete leg one in ninth overall with triple British champion Matt Edwards rounding out the top 10.

James Williams vaulted from 10th overnight to second, 1.4sec behind Paddon, with the fastest time through SS3 for his maiden ERC stage win by 4.2sec. The Welshman said: “It was hairy. That was my home stage. What an incredible feeling to be going through there at that speed. I’m over the moon with that, I can’t put it into words.” 

However, the British championship frontrunner rolled into retirement after 1.5km of SS4. Both he and co-driver Ross Whittock were uninjured. But with Williams’ stricken i20 N Rally2 blocking the road, the stage action was halted after 10 cars.

Eamonn Kelly (Ford Fiesta Rally3, above) holds first place in FIA ERC3 with Mille Johansson taking the lead in FIA ERC4 and FIA Junior ERC after his fellow Opel Corsa Rally4-driving Swede wsa forced to change a damaged tyre on SS7.

The penultimate round of the 2024 ERC season concludes tomorrow (Sunday) with four more stages, starting with the 10.74km DC Autos Bethania test from 08:33 local time. The Spencer Quantum Hafod Power Stage, which brings JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion to a close, is scheduled to start at 14:05.