"Phenomenal" Craig Breen was a "true lover" of motorsport

Breen was fatally injured when his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car left the road near Zlatar in Croatia on Thursday and hit a wooden post. His co-driver, James Fulton, walked away unharmed.

The pair were in the Baltic State to prepares for next week’s Croatia Rally, the fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship. As part of their car share arrangement, they were due to represent Hyundai Motorsport in the third points-scoring car on the Tarmac counter.

Reflecting on the tragic events that unfolded on Thursday, team President Sean Kim admitted that it still had not sunk in and that time would be needed to properly process what had happened.

“Everyone here in Alzenau is feeling the loss of our team-mate and friend Craig deeply, and we are supporting our colleagues through this incredibly difficult time,” said Kim.

“To say he was a much valued and well-regarded member of our team only touches the surface. Craig had a passion for rallying that ran deep. He was more than just a driver, he was a true lover of the sport.

“Craig wore his heart on his sleeve, something that enamoured him to so many people. He had a way with words that was completely unique; his end-of-stage quotes were always a highlight.”

Looking back on the contributions Breen made to the team, which he first joined in 2019 and returned to for this season following a year away with M-Sport Ford, Kim said: “Craig was also a phenomenal driver.

“There are so many highlights, both within our team and in the rest of his career, but in Rally Sweden he showed us his true essence [by finishing second overall].

“He was performing at the top of his game and reminding us all of the incredible talent he possessed. That podium meant a lot to us as a team, but you could see just how much it meant to him.”

He added: “It is clear the whole rallying community and beyond is feeling this profound loss. The outpouring of grief and sadness in the past day is testament to the man that Craig was.

“He leaves behind a legacy within Hyundai Motorsport and the wider motorsport community that is difficult to put into words. Rest in peace, dear friend.”