Rally Sweden podium will be a challenge, admits Breen
Breen moved back from M-Sport Ford to Hyundai at the end of last season and will make his first appearance for the Alzenau-based outfit on the Umea event which starts on Thursday evening.
The Irishman has already sampled the I20 N Rally1 car in the build up to the competition’s sole winter round during a pre-event test he completed last week alongside countryman James Fulton.
His track record between the snow banks has been mixed to say the least, the best performance stretching back to his Citroen Racing days in 2018 when he finished in second spot with Paul Nagle.
“Rally Sweden is always an event that I enjoy, and a place where I have been able to bring home some of my best results in the past,” said Breen, who will be looking to make the most of his favourable road position on the opening day if there are few wintry deposits overnight Thursday into Friday morning.
“We only have one rally a year where we get to drive in true winter conditions with the studded tyres, so that makes Sweden even more special.
“The stages will be very straight and very fast, meaning you need to be committed to be quick. With quite a few stages taking place in the dark, it is really important to make sure the pace notes are accurate.”
As for the kind of result he would like, Breen says somewhere in the silverware positions would be the perfect foundation to begin his spell with Hyundai Motorsport in the new Rally1 hybrid era.
If he could do that, it would be in stark contrast to his performance with M-Sport Ford twelve months ago when a trip into a snowbank on the second stage ended his participation early. The cause was later blamed on his vision being impaired by washer fluid freezing on his car’s windscreen.
“In an ideal world, I would love to leave Sweden having stood on the podium again, but with it being my first competitive event in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, this will be a challenge,” he admitted. “Ultimately, my main goal is to enjoy the experience.”
The itinerary on Friday comprises two loops of three stages separated by a flexi service, followed by another pass of the Umea sprint stage. Saturday is the longest day of the event at 126km spread over seven stages, with Sunday’s three tests - including the Power Stage - bringing proceedings to a close.
