Craig Breen returns to the World Rally Championship for the first time in 2023 this weekend, marking the resumption of his relationship with Hyundai at Rally Sweden.
The Waterford man will be aiming to make hay when the sun shines this year as the picks up alternating drives with fellow part-timer Dani Sordo. Breen previously drove for Hyundai prior to his year with M-Sport Ford and was regularly scoring points in that time, standing on the podium with some regularity. If he can return to his previous standard, this calendar year could well prove fruitful for the Slieverue native.
As the only snow event on the 2023 WRC schedule, Sweden offers a unique test for both man and machine. Despite the terrain, the profile of the stages makes the event one of the fastest rounds on the calendar. The studded winter tyres provide remarkably high levels of grip in the icy conditions, while large snowbanks can be utilised by the drivers to assist cornering. However this can be a risky game; when the temperature is slightly warmer, the banks can disintegrate on impact and leave cars stranded in the deep snow. Craig Breen and James Fulton will helm the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid in Sweden. 2023 marks Breen’s return to the squad after a year away. With a relatively new face in the co-driver’s seat in the shape of Fulton, the Irishman will be aiming to get plenty of kilometres under his belt during his first rally behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Although we came away from the season opener in Monte-Carlo a bit frustrated by our pace, we can be relatively satisfied with the situation in the championship. Thierry and Martijn did an excellent job to get onto the podium, and Esapekka and Janne got plenty of valuable time in the car. Heading now to Sweden, our goal is to show improvement and enable our three crews to compete for the podium places. All of our drivers have had success in Sweden before, and since Monte-Carlo they have been working with the engineers and mechanics to get the setup of our Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid right for these tricky conditions. Hopefully we can find the right balance and leave the event with a strong result and a solid haul of points for the championship.”
Breen has previously finished second in Sweden in 2018, equaling his best finish to date on the WRC stage. He departed M-Sport Ford before Christmas after a disappointing offering in his first year as a full-time driver with the English team. Since then, his working relationship with Paul Nagle came to an end when the Kerry native announced his retirement from the sport after Rally New Zealand.
Speaking ahead of the shakedown on Thursday, Breen said: “Rally Sweden is always an event that I enjoy, and a place where I have been able to bring home some of my best results in the past. We only have one rally a year where we get to drive in true winter conditions with the studded tyres, so that makes Sweden even more special. The stages will be very straight and very fast, meaning you need to be committed to be quick. With quite a few stages taking place in the dark, it’s really important to make sure the pace notes are accurate. In an ideal world, I would love to leave Sweden having stood on the podium again, but with it being my first competitive event in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, this will be a challenge. Ultimately, my main goal is to enjoy the experience.”
The shakedown takes place throughout the day on Thursday, with the actual racing underway from 7.30 am on Friday (February 10th).
