“The guffawing pin fell out of the laughing shaft, however I managed to get it again in, so we’re okay.”
Sure you will have learn that appropriately. This was a line from one in all Craig Breen’s legendary World Rally Championship stage finish interviews, broadcast stay on tv throughout a run to second in Sardinia in 2022. You by no means knew what would come out of his mouth, nevertheless it was all the time assured to stir an emotion and as a rule it was unforgettable.
This was Breen in a nutshell. He was a uncooked character in an age the place PR-trained drivers have turn out to be considerably picket. It is without doubt one of the myriad explanation why Breen is so sorely missed, one yr on from his untimely death following a Rally Croatia testing crash, aged 33.
I can’t proclaim that I correctly knew Breen or was one in all his internal circle. However having labored in a lot of racing disciplines during the last 16 years, I can say hand on coronary heart that Breen was totally different. He was a pleasure to interview since you knew there would all the time be one thing that may elevate a smile. Whether or not it was his sheer ardour and pleasure for rallying, some fast witted one-liner about his love of a easy cup of tea, or even when a hungry rally marshal had butter within the sandwich they had been consuming forward of a lunchtime stage.
That turned a part of his persona. In another universe, he may fairly simply have been a rise up comic. Finally, he was a down-to-earth rally fan was a celebrity rally driver, who on his day was able to preventing with one of the best the WRC may muster.
Tragically Breen’s profession was sadly been reduce quick earlier than it reached its prime and we’ll by no means know if he would lastly rating that elusive WRC win his efforts and toil deserved. Whereas his ability behind the wheel was evident from the very starting of his profession and has been extensively praised, it’s one other facet to Breen that has been and can proceed to be missed greater than wheeling a rally automotive on the restrict by way of among the world’s hardest phases.
Breen’s ardour for rallying was clear each time he bought behind the wheel
Photograph by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Few drivers have worn their coronary heart on their sleeve to the extent that Breen did. It was a trait that endeared him to rally followers, providing a window into his mindset that few are courageous sufficient to showcase. He broke down in tears of pleasure when he secured podiums and was equally dropped at tears when issues went mistaken.
These had been moments that the rally world misses so tremendously. It was pure emotion that helped illustrate a narrative, capturing the viewers’s consideration. It wasn’t placed on for present, simply an instinctive response from somebody who beloved nothing greater than driving a rally automotive.
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The 2022 season was presupposed to be the second when all of Breen’s stars aligned. The Irishman had lastly landed a full-time WRC drive for the primary time in his profession, with M-Sport-Ford. It appeared this could be a wedding made in heaven given M-Sport had performed a task within the early phases of Breen’s profession, courtesy of a one-year apprenticeship prize for profitable the Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy in 2009.
Nevertheless, it simply didn’t work out. A collection of crashes took Breen to a darkish place. The ache was ended by a break up with the workforce a yr right into a two-year contract on the finish of the marketing campaign.
“Don’t let anybody ever put you down, as a result of solely you realize your true potential. The folks near me comprehend it and eventually we managed to get it again out once more”
Craig Breen
Many drivers would have tried to place a courageous face on issues and preserve the feelings bottled up, however that wasn’t Breen’s type. He advised it the way it was and let everybody know the way he was feeling. A courageous factor to do in a world the place every little thing is scrutinised intensively on social media.
“You haven’t any concept of the darkness that went on final yr,” he mentioned when reflecting on 2022 in Sweden final February. “Thankfully I trip the crest of the waves when issues are good, however I sadly trip the down components too. I put on my coronary heart on my sleeve after which you will have these gobs***** behind the pc that suppose they know higher, however on the finish of the day they don’t know.”
Whereas the information of Breen’s passing stays exhausting for a lot of to understand, we will take some solace from the truth that he managed to put the demons of 2022 to relaxation in his 82nd and ultimate WRC begin. Rally Sweden was when the infectious Breen smile and sharp wit returned. On his first outing since rejoining Hyundai for a second spell as a part-time WRC driver, which he hoped would result in a full-time drive in 2024, he got here near an elusive victory and finally claimed a sixth runner-up end behind winner Ott Tanak.
As Breen clocked up 4 stage wins to steer the rally, the tears of pleasure had been flowing. That’s what driving a rally automotive and competing with one of the best meant to him; it stirred up the feelings earlier than they got here pouring out.
Breen at flat chat in Sweden challenged for victory earlier than ending second
Photograph by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
“I’ve missed that feeling,” mentioned Breen. “Very, quite simple, fully easy. Second probability – I am a really fortunate boy.”
He would then go on to proclaim himself because the ‘Mayor of Brattby’ after profitable that take a look at to the take the rally lead with beaming smile: “I may in all probability be the mayor of Brattby at this stage. The automotive is totally on rails – I’ve by no means had something like this earlier than. Extra of that please.”
Whereas he was all the time completely happy to ship trademark one-liners to precise his pleasure, Breen wasn’t afraid to elucidate his ache. His ultimate WRC stage finish interview on the conclusion of Rally Sweden, the final of his 9 WRC podiums, introduced every little thing into sharp focus and gained’t be forgotten simply.
“It has been such a horrible, horrible black place the place I used to be final yr,” he mentioned. “Don’t let anybody ever put you down, as a result of solely you realize your true potential. The folks near me comprehend it and eventually we managed to get it again out once more. I’m simply so completely happy to be again preventing on the entrance once more with this superb workforce, superb automotive.”
Poignant phrases that, mixed with the Basis set up last November to help aspiring rally drivers competing in Ireland’s J1000 Forestry Series, will maybe be his legacy. As a reporter you’re presupposed to be neutral, nevertheless it was exhausting to not really feel completely happy seeing the smile again on the face of somebody who adored rallying greater than something on this planet.
It’s honest to say rally is a distinct segment space in motorsport’s wealthy tapestry that may generally battle to chop by way of to a extra mainstream viewers. However Breen was ready to do this together with his coronary heart on the sleeve method and sheer love of the self-discipline. These nuggets of gold from stage finish interviews will proceed to rack up 1000’s of views on social media as folks replicate on what a real one in all a sort Breen was.
This sentiment was reflected in the February announcement that the Junior WRC will honour Breen with the creation of the ‘Craig Breen Spirit of Rallying Award’ for the JWRC driver who, over the course of the season, finest embodies Breen’s traits; a willingness to beat adversity, an unwavering willpower to tackle each impediment to finish each rally, and an outgoing Positive manner of their interactions with rivals, marshals and media.
It’s this facet of Breen that I feel will probably be missed probably the most. His demise left the rally world numb and was felt exhausting throughout the broader motorsport fraternity, emphasising his standard character. He will probably be sorely missed, however Craig Breen’s legacy and the mark he left on rallying gained’t be forgotten in a heartbeat.
Breen’s demise hit the motorsport world exhausting, and one yr on he’s nonetheless sorely missed
Photograph by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport