Breen wants to rediscover form and enjoy his driving again

Craig Breen says the priority this year is to rediscover his love of rallying and competing at the sharp end of the World Rally Championship after returning to the Hyundai Motorsport squad for 2023.

Jason Craig_1

13 Jan 2023

The Irishman spent the past twelve months at M-Sport Ford after agreeing terms to be their number one driver for the entire season. However, crashes and mistakes marred his first full campaign, with a third-place at Rallye Monte-Carlo and second overall at Rally Italia Sardinia the only high points.

That lack of speed and general consistency in the Puma Rally1 forced a rethink in the second half of last year and led him to hold discussions with Hyundai’s former team principal Julien Moncet, who was replaced on Thursday of this week by former Alpine Formula One boss, Cyril Abiteboul.

A partial programme was agreed, meaning Breen will share the third points-scoring I20 N Rally1 car with World Rally Championship veteran Dani Sordo. How many starts the 32-year-old former Junior and Super2000 World Champion will make has still to be communicated by his employer.

However, Sordo was quoted in the Spanish press prior to Christmas saying that he would tackle as many as eight, starting in Monte Carlo next week alongside his countryman Candido Carrera.

A similar arrangement existed between 2020 and 2021, during which time Breen enjoyed second-place finishes at Rally Estonia in consecutive years and a runner-up performance at Rally Finland.

Yet despite being back at the place where he feels most comfortable, Breen says he needs time to replicate those headline grabbing displays. “It is nice to be back at Hyundai after a year away. I’m looking forward to it but there are a lot of different elements since I was last here,” he said.

“The car is completely new – but it feels really nice to drive. We had a good test in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid and we will have another one before our first event [February’s Rally Sweden].

“In all honesty, last season was a difficult one for me, so the most challenging thing for me will be getting back on form again,” added Breen, who will be partnered by James Fulton following the retirement of his former navigator Paul Nagle after last October’s Rally Spain.

“For my own confidence, I want to bounce back and return to enjoying the rallies again, as well as getting good results.

Hyundai Motorsport’s quest to secure the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles will be led by Thierry Neuville, and Esapekka Lappi who joins from Toyota Gazoo Racing.

“I believe the team has what it takes to challenge for the titles this season,” said Breen. “There is no reason why we cannot win the title again. All the ingredients are there to go and do it.”