Craig Breen (2 February 1990 – 13 April 2023) was an Irish rally driver who last competed part time for the Hyundai team in the World Rally Championship (WRC). He won the 2012 Super 2000 WRC, scoring class wins in the Monte Carlo Rally, Wales Rally GB, Rally France and the Rally of Spain. Breen won the WRC Academy Cup in 2011, winning his first event at the 2011 Rallye Deutschland and sealing the championship with a win at Wales Rally GB. The academy title going down to the last stage, with Breen and Estonian rally driver Egon Kaur ending the season, both on 111 points, Breen then won the title on count back of stage wins, 39 to 14. Breen won the 2021 Rentokil Historic Rally in Killarney, Kerry, Ireland in his BMW M3 E30.

Breen died on 13 April 2023 after a collision with a post during a pre-event test ahead of the 2023 Croatia Rally, which punctured the cabin of the Hyundai i20.

Career Craig was the son of Ray Breen, a national champion in Irish rallying. He began karting in 1999 in Ireland. He began rallying in 2007, combining it with karting commitments in Europe in 2008.

In 2009, Breen made the full-time switch to rallying, competing in the Irish, British and International Fiesta Sporting Trophies, winning all three championships. He also went on to win the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout and was awarded a twelve-month contract with M-Sport. For his achievements Breen was crowned Young Irish Rally Driver of the Year and received the Billy Coleman Award.

In 2010, Breen debuted the Ford Fiesta S2000 in both British Rally Championship and the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. He took his first BRC victory on the 2010 Ulster Rally and went on to finish second overall in the ITC. He also finished 17th overall in the car at the 2010 Rally Finland and 12th overall at Wales Rally GB.

In 2011, Breen competed in the WRC Academy driving a Ford Fiesta R2. He won his first WRC event at the Rallye Deutschland and his win at Wales Rally GB made him the inaugural WRC Academy Cup champion.

For 2012, Breen progressed to the S-WRC championship driving a Ford Fiesta S2000. He won the opening round at Monte Carlo and led the championship after the second round in Sweden.

In June 2012, Breen's co-driver Gareth Roberts was killed in an accident during the Targa Florio Rally, the fifth round of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

In Rally de Catalunya, in November, Breen won the Super 2000 world championship. At the end of the rally, a very emotional Breen declared "I'm a kid, I can't believe I've done this."

In 2013, Breen and co-driver Paul Nagle were signed by Peugeot to lead their ERC campaign called 'Peugeot Rally Academy'. Breen was successful, achieving five podium places during the season, and eventually finishing third overall, missing out on the runner-up spot by only four points. Midway during the season Nagle left the team to help out Volkswagen's Andreas Mikkelsen in the WRC; from the Rajd Polski onwards, Belgian Lara Vanneste became Breen's co-driver.

Breen won his first ERC rally at the 2014 Acropolis Rally in Greece, driving a Peugeot 208 T16.

Breen and co-driver Scott Martin won the 2015 Circuit of Ireland Rally which had been a long-time ambition of Craig's especially as this would be the 20th anniversary of his Rally Idol's Tarmac Championship win, that being Frank Meagher.

Breen did a part-time campaign with the Citroën Total World Rally Team in 2016, achieving his maiden Special Stage win and an emotional first podium finish with third place at the 2016 Rally Finland. He improved the result in 2018 by finishing second at the 2018 Rally Sweden.

Breen joined Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for two events in the 2019 WRC campaign, remaining with the team on a part-time campaign through to the end of the 2021 WRC season. In this period, he accomplished four podium finishes, including three second places.

In October 2021, it was announced that Breen would join M-Sport World Rally Team as their lead driver for the 2022 season. He joined Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith in competing at all 13 rounds, making it his first full-time WRC campaign.

Breen achieved two podium finishes with the Ford Puma Rally1, with a second place in Italy and a third place on debut in Monte Carlo. Before the 2022 Rally Catalunya, James Fulton became Breen's new co-driver after his long-time co-driver Paul Nagle announced his retirement.

Breen moved from M-Sport back to Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for the 2023 World Rally Championship, again as a part-time driver for the Korean team. He started his campaign in Sweden with a second-place finish which saw him leading the rally for a considerable part of the event. Unfortunately, Breen was killed in a crash during a test before Rally Croatia.

Death Breen died on 13 April 2023, aged 33, after a crash driving his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 rally car in a testing session for the 2023 Croatia Rally. The front left of his car collided with a pole on a road between Stari Golubovec and Lobor at 12:40 pm local time, fatally injuring him. Breen's co-driver James Fulton was uninjured. Breen's funeral took place on 18 April 2023 at The Sacred Heart Church in Ferrybank. Several WRC associates attended the funeral, including Fulton, Breen's former co-driver, Paul Nagle and Breen's teammates at Hyundai, Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo.

On 17 April 2023, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile announced Breen's car number 42 would be retired from the rest of the 2023 season.

Career results WRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Points 2009 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta ST IRE NOR CYP POR25 ARG ITA GRE POL FIN26 NC 0 Ford Fiesta R2 AUS ESP36 GBR39 2010 Castrol Ford Team Türkiye Ford Fiesta SWE MEX JOR TUR22 NZL POR BUL NC 0 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 FIN19 GER JPN FRA ESP Barwa Rally Team GBR12 2011 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 SWE15 MEX POR JOR ITA ARG GRE FIN GER AUS FRA NC 0 PS Engineering ESP15 GBR 2012 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 MON14 SWE16 MEX PORRet ARG GRE NZL FINRet GER GBR13 FRA17 ITA ESP6 17th 8 2014 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta RS WRC MON SWE9 MEX POR ARG ITA POL FINRet GER AUS FRA ESP GBR 25th 2 2015 Saintéloc Junior Team Peugeot 208 T16 R5 MON13 SWE MEX ARG PORRet ITA POL FINRet GER18 AUS FRA17 ESPRet GBR13 NC 0 2016 Abu Dhabi Total WRT Citroën DS3 WRCMONSWE8 MEX ARG POR ITA POL7 FIN3 GER CHNC FRA5 ESP10 GBRRet AUS 10th 36 2017 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT Citroën DS3 WRC MON5 10th 64 Citroën C3 WRC SWE5 MEX FRA5 ARGRet POR5 ITA25 POL11 FIN5 GER5 ESP GBR15 AUSRet 2018 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT Citroën C3 WRC MON9 SWE2 MEX FRA ARGRet POR7 ITA6 FIN8 GER7 TURRet GBR4 ESP9 AUS7 11th 67 2019 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC MON SWE MEX FRA ARG CHL POR ITA FIN7 GER TUR GBR8 ESP AUS 14th 10 2020 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC MON SWE MEX EST2 TUR ITA MNZ 9th 25 2021 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC MON ARC CRO POR ITA KEN EST BEL GRE FIN ESP MNZ 8th 76 2022 M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Puma Rally1 MON SWE36 CRO POR ITA KEN EST30 FIN32 BEL63 GRE NZL19 ESP9 JPN24 7th 84 2023 Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 N Rally1 MON SWE MEX CRO POR ITA KEN EST FIN GRE CHL EUR JPN 14th 19Source:

SWRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points 2010 Barwa Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000 SWE MEX JOR NZL POR FIN GER JPN FRA GBR2 12th 18 2011 PS Engineering Ford Fiesta S2000 MEX JOR ITA GRE FIN GER FRA ESP4 10th 12 2012 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 MON1 SWE2 PORRet NZL FINRet GBR1 FRA1 ESP1 1st 118Source:

WRC Academy results Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 2011 Craig Breen PORRet ITA8 FIN2 GER1 FRARet GBR1 1st 111Source:

WRC-2 results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points 2015 Saintéloc Junior Team Peugeot 208 T16 R5 MON2 SWE MEX PORRet ARG ITA POL FINRet GER5 AUS FRA4 ESPRet GBR3 9th 55Source:

IRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points 2011 Craig Breen Ford Fiesta S2000 MON CAN COR YAL YPR AZO ZLI7 MEC SAN SCO4 CYP 12th 24 2012 Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 S2000 AZO CAN IRL5 COR6 ITARet YPR SMR ROM ZLI YAL SLI SAN6 CYP 14th 26Source:

ERC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points 2013 Sainteloc Peugeot Rally Academy Peugeot 207 S2000 JÄN LIE2 CAN2 3rd 145 Peugeot Rally Academy AZO2 COR4 YPR3 ROM CZE POL7 CRO SANRet VAL3 2014 Peugeot Rally Academy Peugeot 207 S2000 JÄN LIE3 3rd 104 Peugeot 208 T16 R5 GRE1 IRERet AZORet YPRRet EST CZERet CYPRet ROM VAL2 CORRet 2015 Peugeot Rally Academy Peugeot 208 T16 R5 JÄNRet LIE1 IRE1 AZO1 YPRRet ESTRet CZE7 CYP GRE2 VAL2 2nd 185 2016 DGM Sport Citroën DS3 R5 CAN IRE1 GRE AZO YPR EST POL ZLI LIE CYP 8th 38 2020 Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 ITA LAT PRT HUN ESP 7th 49 2021 Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 POL LAT ITA CZE PRT1 PRT2 HUN ESP 10th 43 2023 Team Hyundai Portugal Hyundai i20 N Rally2 PRT ESP POL LAT SWE ITA CZE HUN 25th 20Source:

References

External links