Fulton "ready to return" to World Rally Championship with Meeke

Fulton – who escaped the testing accident in Croatia which claimed Breen’s life – will step back into the car and call the notes for Kris Meeke on next week’s Rally de Portugal.

The pair will compete for honours on the loose surface event aboard a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car – the same one that carried Meeke to a 15.5 second victory on last weekend’s Rali Terras d’Aboboreira over Marco Bulacia.

“It was a very tough moment, but I feel, now, ready to return,” Fulton, who finished second overall on February’s Rally Sweden in his final outing with Breen, said.

“It was not an easy decision, but I know it is what Craig would have wanted.”

“I started this challenge with him, and I feel the best way to honour him is to finish what we started together.”

Fulton revealed that he came to the conclusion after talking to his family and also Breen’s relatives, and said everyone was in agreement that it would have been the 33-year-old’s wishes.

Rally de Portugal will be Meeke’s first appearance in the sport’s top flight since his days as a Toyota driver in 2019, and his second in Hyundai Portugal covers following his success in the country late last month.

Meeke, a five-time winner in the World Rally Championship with Citroen Racing, has agreed to represent the team in “honour” of Breen, who was combining his World Rally Championship efforts this year with a full season in the Portuguese Rally Championship. He won the first event but retired from round two owing to a crash.

Sérgio Ribeiro – the CEO of Hyundai Portugal – said: “James’ return is something we wanted and we are naturally delighted to welcome him back to the team.

“The memory of Craig and the passion he had for rallying remains with us and we continue to remember it.”