Craig Breen, an Irish Waterford rally driver passed away in a testing incident. Craig Breen was killed after a crash during testing, which is terrible news for the rally world. The rally community is devastated at the sad news breaking from Croatia, of the passing of Irish rally star Craig Breen.

Breen, a previous winner of the Ulster Rally will be regarded as one of the sport’s greats, and perhaps one the greatest drivers to come from the island of Ireland. His family and friends are in our thoughts. Keep reading this article to learn more about this tragic incident and Craig Breen cause of death.

What happened to Craig Breen?

The tragic passing of rally driver Craig Breen has shocked and devastated the Irish racing community. The 33-year-old Waterford driver was killed in a collision during the pre-event practice for next week’s Croatia Rally, round four of the World Rally Championship, Hyundai Motorsport said just after 2 p.m. today.

Craig Breen, a native of Waterford, was killed in an accident in Croatia today (April 13). Hyundai Motorsport squad announced this devastating news to the world by posting the following message on their official Facebook page,

Statement from Hyundai Motorsport

Hyundai Motorsport is deeply saddened to confirm that driver Craig Breen today lost his life following an accident during the pre-event test for Croatia Rally. Co-driver James Fulton was unharmed in the incident that occurred just after midday local time. Hyundai Motorsport sends its sincerest condolences to Craig’s family, friends, and fans. Hyundai Motorsport will make no further comment at this time.

Craig Breen cause of death

Craig Breen, a driver for Hyundai in the World Rally Championship (WRC), has died as a result of an accident that occurred during a pre-event test for Rally Croatia.

According to reports, Breen ran off the road while taking the test, and his i20 N Rally1 vehicle hit a pole. Hyundai has finally acknowledged that he died as a result of his wounds. James Fulton, Breen’s co-driver, escaped the collision unscathed.

James Fulton, his Cavan co-driver, was unhurt in the collision that happened shortly after lunchtime local time. Hyundai Motorsport expressed its deepest sympathies to Craig’s family, friends, and countless admirers and said that at this moment, it will not be providing any other comments.

“The WRC family is shocked and saddened to learn of Craig Breen’s passing” a World Rally Championship statement reads. “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of Craig at this incredibly sad time.”

Breen had spent a year with the M-Sport Ford World Rally team before returning to Hyundai for the upcoming WRC season. In his first WRC start of the year, the 33-year-old placed second to Ott Tanak at the Rally Sweden in February.

Tributes flooded social media following Breen’s tragic passing:

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said,

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem reacted to the news as well, saying, “On behalf of the FIA, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Craig Breen following his passing during a private testing accident in Croatia. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and the entire Rally community at this difficult time.”

WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera said,

Current WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera was one of those paying tribute to Breen, saying: “Rest in peace Craig. My thoughts are tonight with your family and friends.”

Motorsport Ireland President Aiden Harper said:

“The Irish motorsport community is numbed by this tragic news. Craig was a world-class driver and a world-class person. “To Craig’s family, his parents Ray and Jackie, his sister Kellie, brother-in-law Darragh, and nephew Bobbie, I wish to extend my deepest condolences and all our thoughts remain with Craig’s co-driver James Fulton. May they all find the strength and support they need at this unimaginably tragic time.”

Who was Craig Breen?

(Source: WRC)

Breen was the son of former Irish champion Ray. Breen started his career in karting in his native country before switching to rallying full-time in 2009. That year, he won the International, British, and Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy titles and was named Ireland’s Young Driver of the Year.

In a Fiesta S2000, he placed second in the Irish Tarmac Championship in 2010 and won his first British Championship race at the Ulster Rally. Breen advanced to the WRC Academy in 2011, winning the championship in a Fiesta R2 after victories in Germany and the United Kingdom. The following year, Breen won the SWRC championship with a Fiesta S2000 after four category victories.

Breen was recruited by Peugeot to drive a 207 S2000 in 2013’s European Rally Championship. Breen started working on the 208 T16 car of the French manufacturer, and five podium finishes earned third place in the standings.

While driving the new vehicle in the ERC in 2014, he finished third in the championship despite winning the Acropolis Rally in Greece due to technical troubles. 2015 saw the launch of a more comprehensive strategy that included Peugeot-sponsored WRC2 and ERC campaigns.

He finished third in the ERC standings with three victories, just missing out on the championship, but it was a different story in WRC2, as he was once more hampered by technical issues and finished eighth overall.

WRC Championship

Breen was given the chance to race at the highest level of the WRC in 2016, driving a DS 3 World Rally Car for the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team on specific rounds. He took advantage of the occasion, particularly in Finland, where he finished an impressive third.

He won a Citroen manufacturing contract and finished second in Sweden in 2018 for the first time in his career, but he lost his seat at the end of that election cycle. Hyundai Motorsport saved him, and on the second of his two races in 2020, he came in second in Estonia. He would split the third I20 in 2021 with Dani Sordo as his reward.

Breen proved to be a reliable driver and scored well in each of his five starts, but a permanent position with the Korean manufacturer proved elusive. In its place, Breen was appointed by M-Sport Ford to guide the team toward the WRC’s next hybrid era.

Breen had a promising start to his 2022 season with a podium finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo, but a string of mishaps throughout the year kept him from getting the results he and M-Sport had hoped for.

Moreover, the Irishman unexpectedly chose to sign a second contract with Hyundai for the Alzenau-based team at the end of the season. In the third vehicle, he switches off driving duties with Spaniard Dani Sordo.

Please leave a tribute or share your memories with Breen in the comment field below to honor his death. 

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