The bad streak continues for Craig Breen

Team M-Sport a décidément du mal avec ses équipages. Après avoir choisi de laisser Adrien fourmaux and Alexandre Coria in France, because the trip to New Zealand represented little interest, the English structure could only rely on Craig Breen and Fergus Greensmith. Well placed in the starting orders, the two Britons knew how to take advantage of their position. The Englishman was the best in the first passage of Whaanga Coast and his teammate took the lead of the race. Although then falling back into line a little, the two Puma were still 3^e and 4^e at the mid-day stop. The split times in the Whaanga Coast rehearsal were very favorable to the Irishman, until he made a mistake in one of the most famous corners of this round! Craig actually plunged onto the same right as the one where Colin McRae had gone out in 2002. Helped by spectators, he managed to get back on the road, but more than 18 minutes late. At the end of the time trial the Ford stopped for the day. This new crash is added to a series that drags on. If Breen experienced a respite at the Acropolis where his bad start to rally had been caused by a puncture, his New Zealand ball came after three consecutive errors. The M-Sport driver was released in Estonia, Finland and Ypres. The somber expression of Richard Millener, the team manager, said more than all the speeches about his opinion after the umpteenth blunder of the driver to whom he signed a two-year contract. “ He knew this trap, he raged. It's surprising to see him commit such an accident. Craig might not forget it any time soon. » Gus Greensmith therefore finds himself alone defending the team's chances. The Manchester native has so far produced the best performance in several months.