A year ago, Craig Breen left us after a fatal accident in Croatia

A year ago, the news caused a shock wave in the middle of rally and motorsport: Craig Breen, then aged 33, lost his life after a tragic accident in Croatia. The Irishman, pilot Hyundai in the World Rally Championship and author of eight podiums in his career, left us suddenly during private testing ahead of the Croatia Rally. THE WRC, in shock, however, maintained the event, and Hyundai its participation, to pay the most beautiful tribute to the late driver. The Korean team notably used a livery in the colors of the Irish flag, during a weekend full of emotions.

One year since you left us, but we'll keep your memory alive forever. 💚🤍🧡 pic.twitter.com/MvrISsTPQM

— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) April 13, 2024

Son of Irish rally champion Ray Breen, Craig Breen first cut his teeth in karting from the age of 9. He discovered rallying in 2007, at the age of 17, and took part in his first competition two years later. Despite his rookie status, he won the Irish, British and international Fiesta Sporting Trophy championships. With these successes, he earned a one-year contract with the team M-Sport. He was also voted Best Young Irish Driver of the Year in 2009.

A junior career marked by drama

He made his debut in the British Rally Championship in 2010, where he took his first victory on the Ulster Rally driving a Ford Fiesta S2000. He also took part in his first rallies counting towards the WRC world championship, including a 12th place in the Rally of Great Britain. In 2011, Craig Breen joined the WRC Academy championship, which he won with two victories in Germany and Wales.

The Irishman moved to the next level with participation in the S-WRC championship (which has since become WRC-2) in 2012. A year mourned by the death of his co-driver at the time, Gareth Roberts, victim of a crash during of a rally in Sicily. Despite this tragedy, Craig Breen won the title, and scored his first points in the WRC with a 6th place overall in Catalonia. He would then team up with Paul Nagle for the remainder of his career.

Between 2013 and 2015, the Waterford native competed in the championship ERC with a Peugeot  207 then a Peugeot 208, as part of the “Peugeot Rally Academy”. He finished 2nd in 2015 and twice 3rd in 2013 and 2014, before making the step up to the WRC.

Promising beginnings

The WRC adventure began in 2016 for Craig Breen. Citroën is integrating it into a partial program, with participation in 6 races, ahead of the brand's return to the rafters for 2017. The Irishman scores his first WRC podium in Finland with a 3rd place and scores 36 points with a DS3 aging. In 2017, Citroën kept him as the starting driver for the entire season. If he has to participate in the Monte Carlo Rally with the DS3, he will use the new C3 WRC from the second rally, in Sweden.

© François Flamand / DPPI

The experience with Citroën did not go as planned: the C3 was the slowest car on the board. Despite good consistency, Craig Breen has only scored one podium in two seasons (2nd place in Sweden in 2018).

His career came to a halt in 2019, when Citroën decided to sacrifice the Irish driver in favor of Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi. Without a full WRC program, Breen found refuge with Hyundai Motorsport at the end of the season and participated in two rallies.

An unfinished WRC career

In 2020 and 2021, Craig Breen combines a WRC-ERC double program with Hyundai. Even if he only participates briefly in a few events in the premier category, the Irishman achieves excellent performances with 4 podiums in 7 rallies with the Hyundai i20 WRC! Enough to catch the eye of another team, that of its beginnings…

In 2022, at age 32, Craig Breen joins M-Sport for the new hybrid era, with the Ford Puma and a complete program. Unfortunately, the adventure does not go as planned and despite two podiums including one at Monte-Carlo, the Ford Puma is not at the level of its competitors. The Irishman, frustrated by this lack of competitiveness, decided to leave M-Sport after just one season.

© DPPI/N. Katikis

Finally, he returns to Hyundai in 2023, for a partial program in combination with Dani Sordo. For his first rally aboard the i20 Rally1, Craig Breen scored a podium, failing just a few seconds behind his replacement at M-Sport, Ott Tänak. He should have participated in the Croatia Rally before this tragic accident which occurred this Thursday, April 13, 2023, which cost him his life.

ALSO READ > Craig Breen (1990-2023) – A legendary car enthusiast (Group B, Group A, WRC)