1 year ago
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Craig Breen had rejoined Hyundai for the 2023 WRC seasonIrish World Rally Championship operator Craig Breen has died successful an mishap astatine a pre-event trial earlier this weekend's Croatia Rally.
The 33-year-old's Hyundai Motorsport squad confirmed that the Waterford antheral had been progressive successful the incidental astatine astir 11:00 BST connected Thursday.
Breen's co-driver James Fulton was unharmed successful the accident.
"Hyundai Motorsport sends its sincerest condolences to Craig's family, friends and his galore fans," the squad said.
Breen had rejoined Hyundai connected a part-time ground for the caller WRC play having spent a year with the M-Sport Ford World Rally team.
The Waterford antheral finished second to Ott Tanak astatine Rally Sweden successful February successful his archetypal WRC commencement of the season, successful what was his sixth runner-up presumption successful a WRC rally.
Breen was alternating successful Hyundai's 3rd car with Spaniard Dani Sordo this twelvemonth and was scheduled to marque his 2nd quality of the WRC play successful Croatia.
The WRC said connected Twitter: "The WRC household is shocked and saddened to larn of Craig Breen's passing. Our thoughts and condolences are with the household and friends of Craig astatine this incredibly bittersweet time."
Breen, whose begetter Ray was an Irish champion, began his racing vocation successful karting earlier moving into full-time rallying successful 2009.
He moved to the WRC Academy successful 2011 and aft moving up the inferior and WRC2 ranks made his archetypal WRC quality erstwhile driving selected rounds for the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally team.
Current WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera was 1 of those paying tribute to Breen: "Rest successful bid Craig. My thoughts are contiguous with your household and friends."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed condolences to the household and friends of the precocious driver.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and the Rally assemblage astatine this hard time," said the FIA president.
Motorsport Ireland president Aiden Harper said that the Irish motorsport assemblage had been near "numbed by this tragic news".
"Craig was a world-class operator and a world-class person," helium added.
'Breen's charm brought radical person to rallying'
BBC Sport NI's Andy Gray
Craig Breen wasn't conscionable immoderate rally driver, helium was idiosyncratic who had the athletics moving done his each fibre. He was a shining airy not conscionable for Irish rallying but motorsport crossed the world.
His passionateness for rallying was infectious, and his charm brought radical person to the athletics helium loved.
He was a superb talent, arsenic his podium complaint shows, and it is tragic and cruel we volition ne'er spot him basal astatine the apical of the podium erstwhile it felt similar lone a substance of time.
Away from the WRC, helium was an Irish Tarmac Rally Champion and his efforts with the adjacent procreation of drivers volition guarantee his bequest volition beryllium remembered forever.
He mislaid his adjacent person and co-driver Gareth Roberts successful an mishap successful Italy successful 2012. Even arsenic helium roseate up the rallying ladder, 'Jaffa', arsenic helium was fondly known, was ne'er acold from Breen's thoughts.
Breen had a monolithic grin and fantastic wit. He was 1 of the nicest men successful the sport. Rallying volition ne'er rather beryllium the aforesaid again.
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