Breen to contest Sanremo Rally as WRC Croatia warm-up

The M-Sport Ford driver has announced plans to pilot a Ford Fiesta Rally2 on the Italian asphalt rally, an event he’s won twice in 2019 and 2021, driving Skoda and Hyundai R5 machinery respectively.

Rally Sanremo will host the second round of the Italian Rally Championship but has a rich history in the WRC, having held a spot on the calendar until 2003.

The event’s tarmac roads will provide the Irishman a chance to ready himself for the asphalt of Rally Croatia that ends an almost two month break since the last WRC round on the snow of Sweden in February.

Breen will reunite with co-driver John Rowan for the April 8-10 event, the pair last competed together in 2020.

“I’m really happy to say that we’ll be back at Rally Sanremo again this year,” said Breen in a post on social media.

“Obviously it’s been a while out of the competition since Rally Sweden so, with Croatia coming forward, Sanremo presented a good opportunity to come back into competition again.

Craig Breen, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

Photo by: M-Sport

“I’m really looking forward to it, going out with the Fiesta Rally2 for the first time, with John Rowan on the notes, only our second rally together. So I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do there and we’ll do everything we can to make it through there.”

Breen currently sits seventh in the WRC standings after finishing third in Monte Carlo, before salvaging a point in Sweden after crashing out on the opening day.

However, the 32-year-old isn't the only M-Sport WRC driver set to return to action before Rally Croatia.

Team-mate Adrien Fourmaux is set to contest this weekend’s Rally of Nations Guanajuato event in Mexico as part of Team France’s line-up alongside 1994 WRC champion Didier Auriol.

The 1-3 April event is the brainchild of Rally Mexico organisers. It is an attempt to bring top level rallying back to the region, while also offering a reminder to the WRC that Mexico wishes to return to the championship calendar in 2023.