Born on 20 April 1987, Paddon was introduced to motorsport through his father, Chris Paddon, who was also a rally driver. He began his competitive career in karting before entering his first rally in 2002 at the age of 15. In 2005, his early career was marked by an incident at Rally Canterbury where he rolled and burnt his car.
In 2006, Paddon entered the New Zealand Rally Championship driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, securing both the Rookie and Junior titles. He made his World Rally Championship debut in 2007, competing as a wildcard in the PWRC category at Rally New Zealand and later driving for Team Jordan at Rally GB. After winning the New Zealand Rally Championship for the first time in 2008, he earned the Pirelli Star Driver scholarship in 2009. This scholarship provided a fully funded six-event program for the 2010 WRC season. Combined with a $50,000 International Rising Stars Scholarship from Rally of New Zealand, Paddon was able to complete a full 2010 PWRC campaign, where he finished third in Finland and second in Germany.
Paddon’s 2011 season served as a major breakthrough. Competing for the newly formed New Zealand World Rally Team, he switched from his traditional Mitsubishi machinery to a Symtech Racing Subaru Impreza STR11. He won four consecutive rallies in Portugal, Argentina, Finland, and Australia to secure the 2011 PWRC title.
In 2012, Paddon moved to the S-WRC category in a Škoda Fabia S2000, taking a class win at Rally de Portugal. By 2014, he achieved his first WRC stage win at Rally Catalunya. During the 2015 Rally d'Italia, Paddon became the first New Zealander since Possum Bourne in 1999 to lead a WRC event, and the first to do so outside of New Zealand. He finished the event second overall behind Sébastien Ogier.
In 2016, Paddon secured his first outright WRC victory at the YPF Rally Argentina, defeating Ogier by 13.3 seconds. His co-driver, John Kennard, became the oldest person to win a WRC round at age 57. Paddon celebrated the win using a black and silver fern flag rather than the official New Zealand flag to avoid confusion with the Australian flag.
In 2023, Paddon joined the Italian BRC Racing Team to contest the European Rally Championship. Supported by Hyundai New Zealand and Pirelli, he won the season opener in Portugal and went on to become the first non-European to win the ERC title. He successfully defended this title in 2024, securing a victory at Rali Ceredigion to defeat challengers Mathieu Franceschi and Mikolaj Marczyk.
At the 2017 Monte Carlo Rally, Paddon lost control of his Hyundai on the first stage and crashed. A spectator was killed after being struck by the rear of the car. Although the vehicle was capable of continuing, the Hyundai team withdrew Paddon from the event as a mark of respect.
Later in 2017, Paddon’s long-time co-driver John Kennard retired due to injury and was replaced by Sebastian Marshall. Paddon led the 2017 Rally d'Italia until the second day, when he retired after striking a bank and breaking his suspension.
Paddon’s statistical record is defined by his dominance in domestic and regional competition alongside his international titles. He won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2024, he added the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title to his record, competing alongside co-driver Jared Hudson. His 2011 PWRC title and consecutive 2023–2024 ERC titles establish him as the most successful New Zealand driver in FIA-sanctioned international rallying.
In October 2020, Paddon and Hyundai New Zealand unveiled a Hyundai Kona-based EV rally car, one of the first of its kind. Paddon also organized and won the 2020 Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 hillclimb in Central Otago. For this event, he drove the "AP4++," a specially prepared Hyundai i20 featuring a custom 2.1L turbocharged engine producing 800 hp. In 2022, he returned to WRC2 with Hyundai New Zealand Rally, winning the class at his home event against a field of international competitors.
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