Craig Breen finds himself in the middle of a run of poor results, with an uncertain future due to his possible departure from M-Sport and with the certainty that he will have to choose a new co-driver, as Paul Nagle retires after the RACC Rally.
Craig Breen is not going through his best moment. The Irishman has scored points in one of the last five WRC rallies contested, missing several chances of a podium finish. At the recent Rally New Zealand, the M-Sport driver went off the track when he was riding at the pace of the best, which left him with no chance of scoring.
At this point, Breen knows he has to do whatever it takes to avoid falling into a vicious circle in the last two appointments of the season. In the end, Craig is at stake for part of his future in the RACC Rally of Catalunya and in the Rally of Japan and achieving a good result is key, since the M-Sport driver comes from adding four accidents in the last five tests with the Ford Puma Rally1.
It is speculated that Craig Breen’s new co-driver has limited experience and is younger than the Irish driver himself.
«Sport is very cruel sometimes and it can lead you to a little vicious circle. I’m doing my best and trying to deliver results for the team. I know what I want, I have my goals and the team also has theirs. I think it’s obvious that there is no one in M-Sport who is not giving their best and everything he has» Craig Breen has affirmed with a certain enigmatic air.
The Irishman also assures that he wants «be up fighting, I don’t want to be behind. When we are close, it seems that we meet that ‘banana peel’. It’s maddening because at the same point where other drivers have moments of drama and manage to pull it off and get away with it, we get stuck every time. It’s just a run of bad luck right now».
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M Sport or Hyundai?
In the end, Breen is not assured of his continuity in the M-Sport team. The development of the ‘silly season’ may end with Ott Tänak and even Oliver Solberg defending the colors of the Cumbrian coach and without a clear space in the team for the Irishman, more so if Sébastien Loeb decides to continue or extend his partial program with the equipment. And that’s where the figure of Hyundai appears.
The South Korean brand will have to go to market to complete your driver lineup. If Ott Tänak leaves the Hyundai team, the search will be twofold, since the manufacturer will need a first sword that can replace the Estonian and an experienced driver, with another profile, to share the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 with Dani Sordo. It is not yet clear if Craig Breen meets the expectations of the brand, in one role or another..
Farewell to Paul Nagle
What is certain is that Craig Breen will have to face his continuity in M-Sport or his jump to Hyundai with a new co-driver. Paul Nagle has announced his retirement after the Rally RACC de Catalunya in what will be his 102nd rally in the World Championship. A date in which he debuted in 2004 alongside Donie O’Sullivan and in which he will put the finishing touch to his career at 44 years old, after competing for 18 years in the WRC.
Breen will have to choose a new co-driver for Rally Japan, appointment that will serve so that both can begin to synchronize for the new season. Rumors in this respect indicate that the co-pilot chosen by Breen has a much more limited experience than that offered by Paul Nagleas well as being slightly younger than the Irish driver himself.
Photos: FIA WRC