The WRC star that's earned the right to lead M-Sport's revival

It’s hard to find anyone as excited for the 2022 World Rally Championship as Craig Breen.

After 13 years of working his way up the rally ladder, the 31-year-old has finally landed his first full-time WRC campaign courtesy of a two-year deal to spearhead M-Sport Ford’s charge into the new Rally1 hybrid era. Quite simply for the Irishman, known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and an unbridled joy for rallying whatever the car he finds himself in, driving up to the start ramp at Monte Carlo is the realisation of a dream.

“It is what I have been searching all my life for to be honest,” Breen tells Autosport. “It was great to get it all finally over the line, it has been a lot of work not just by me. It has been a long old road to get here and to finally have it in front of us - first of all I’m proud, but I’m just really excited more than anything that finally the chance is here.

“[M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson and team manager Richard Millener] have definitely given me a new found confidence going forward, and it feels great to be leading the team into this new adventure.”

Breen is being touted as a dark horse for the title aboard M-Sport's brand-new Ford Puma Rally1. His two-year deal, along with trusty co-driver Paul Nagle, is long overdue in the eyes of many and a just reward for some head-turning efforts last season.

His desire for a full-time seat were becoming increasingly hard to ignore during 2021, his third part-time season for Hyundai yielding three podiums from five rallies that included two second place finishes in Estonia and Belgium. Despite limited time in the i20 compared to his team-mates Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak, Breen showed career-best form and never finished no lower than eighth. With Hyundai unable to offer him a deal for 2022, M-Sport quickly snaffled up the Irishman for a return of sorts, Breen having begun his rally career driving M-Sport built Ford Fiestas.

Breen (second left) capably backed up former Hyundai team-mate Neuville by finishing second on Rally Belgium last year

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

However, it has been quite the journey for Breen to reach this point, and one full of crests and compressions. After switching from racing karts to rally in 2009, success arrived quickly when he won the 2010 Ulster Rally round of the British Rally Championship. He went on to win the WRC Academy and S2000 titles in 2011 and 2012 driving Ford Fiestas, but the latter triumph was tainted by the death of co-driver Gareth Roberts in a freak accident at the Targa Florio round of a partial Intercontinental Rally Challenge campaign.

Breen was then snapped up by Peugeot in 2013 for its European Rally Championship assault, finishing runner-up to now WRC2 driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz in 2015. Citroen then came calling and after a part-time 2016 season racing a semi-works DS3, he scored a two-year part-time deal in the factory Citroen C3 for 2017 and 2018.

But Breen's move to the big time would prove to be a false dawn of sorts, the C3 WRC was unable to regularly match its Hyundai, Toyota and Ford rivals. After scoring a solitary podium in Sweden 2018, Breen lost his seat at the end of that season. Citroen signed Sebastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi for one last hurrah in 2019, before ultimately exiting the sport’s top tier.

"It is difficult to find the compromise between trying to enjoy it and take in something I’ve wanted all my life, but at the same time trying to perform at world level. It is a balance I have been fighting all my life" Craig Breen

Breen attempted to resurrect his career through handful of R5 drives in 2019, before Hyundai’s then-team principal Andrea Adamo came calling with a WRC lifeline. Fast forward to 2022 and he is about to embark upon not only his full-time WRC programme, but as team leader of a squad that will include young guns Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith, both retained by M-Sport from last season. Like Breen, this will be 26-year-old Fourmaux’s first full-time WRC season.

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To complete the line-up, M-Sport has also pulled off a coup to land the WRC’s nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb for the Monte Carlo opener at least. It’s not the first time Breen has worked alongside Loeb, the French legend scoring an unforgettable record-extending 78th win on the 2018 Rally Catalunya with Citroen then making select appearances with Hyundai in 2019 and 2020.

Having now been handed the chance he's waited so long for, Breen is not just here to enjoy the ride in Loeb's wheel-tracks, but harbours a desire to follow him in becoming a world champion himself.

“It is difficult to find the compromise between trying to enjoy it and take in something I’ve wanted all my life, but at the same time trying to perform at world level,” Breen says, when asked if he is feeling any pressure to make the most of the opportunity. “It is a balance I have been fighting all my life. I really do try to enjoy it, but at the same time, it is a very serious game and you do need to bring something special to every event.

Breen is anxious to make the most of his new opportunity at M-Sport, with Fourmaux and Greensmith his team-mates

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“I’m trying not to focus on that for the minute and just trying to knuckle down and do all the work that needs to be done, which is a lot. It is practically a new rally in Monte this year. Honestly, there are no specific goals - not for Monte at least.

“It feels great, I feel confident in the car and the goal long term is to be world champion. That is why we are still at it, and as much as I enjoy it, I don’t just want to live to enjoy the rallies, I want to be a world champion. That is the goal, but I’m trying not to focus too much on bringing in results immediately. It is a case of getting confident with the car and being able to relax and enjoy it, then I’m sure the results will come.”

Testing has largely run smoothly so far, but during a pre-Monte test last week Breen and Nagle were fortunate to escape unhurt from a heavy crash that resulted in the Puma rolling down a hillside. The car was repaired, allowing M-Sport to continue its run plan.

That was especially important because the WRC has undergone massive changes through its new-for-2022 Rally1 regulations, which promise to deliver the WRC's most unpredictable season for decades. The biggest aspect is the introduction of hybrid technology to the cars through a mandatory 100kW unit, coupled to the 1.6-litre turbocharged internal combustion engine. It will require drivers to manage the use of 130 extra horsepower in hybrid power boosts during each stages, while having to run on full electric mode during zones of road sections and in the service park.

The power boosts are activated by the throttle pedal at the start of the stage and further boosts can be unlocked throughout the tests through regeneration under braking. If 30 kilojoules of energy is regenerated, the next power boost will arrive once the driver presses the throttle pedal.

“We just want to be sure we have gone in the right way with all of the development so far,” Breen continues, expanding on his point about setting goals. “It has been such a massive change on the regulations side and the work of the engineers has been above and beyond the call of duty - they have done something quite incredible to make these cars work.”

And, according to Breen, the new cars will require a different set of skills to drive too.

“It's exciting I have to say, the new rules are definitely bringing a new dimension to the whole thing,” he says. “Working with hybrid is not something we have ever had to deal with. Normally we just have to listen to the co-driver and drive, but now you have a third dimension to think about as well.

New hybrid-equipped Rally1 machines require different skills from drivers

Photo by: Bastien Roux

“The hybrid has been definitely tricky, it is such a big step from what we have had before. We have never had to consider things such as regen and now you really need to change the way of thinking and driving. Honestly I have grown to adapt to it quite quickly, I think. I like it, it's definitely interesting and when you get it all hooked up, it's a very fast and very powerful car.”

Thanks to the hybrid system, cars will produce up to 500 horsepower in short bursts - but will weigh in some 70kg heavier than their 'modern Group B' predecessors. To add a further challenge, trick centre differentials have been removed, leaving teams and drivers with fewer tools to tune the handling of their cars. The effectiveness of the aerodynamics has been reduced by around 15%, while the suspension travel has also been reduced on Rally1 machines.

While the new cars may not be as advanced in some areas as the previous generation, Breen describing them as “a little bit of a step back toward to R5 [cars] in some ways”, he believes the WRC’s shift in focus with its new regulations is the right move.

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“It is all for the better, the sport is going to be better for it,” says Breen. “I think the speed with the hybrid unit still means the cars are incredibly fast. I don’t think the spectacle will be any less.”

"People didn’t get a lot of holidays over Christmas and a lot of people have been working extremely hard on the project, and that goes back to even before myself and Paul put pen to paper. There has been a massive effort" Craig Breen

The spectacle could prove to be particularly special for Breen, if the air of optimism and emerging from the M-Sport camp surrounding its Puma is proven correct. Having pooled the majority of its resources last year to focus on developing the new car, M-Sport was the first team to showcase its prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last July, and it was also the Cumbrian outfit that nailed the new-for-2017 rules. That year, its new Fiesta swept to a drivers' and manufacturers' title double with Sebastien Ogier.

Breen has also spent plenty of time behind the wheel of the Puma to prepare himself for the new season and already feels fairly comfortable in his new office, which could provide him a shot at his ultimate goal.

“Honestly I feel good,” he added. “Testing has been really good and I’ve got no complaints at all really. It has been great to get used to the car and get used to the people as well. It has been a pleasure and I’ve enjoyed it. The team are really motivated and it is interesting to work on a new project like this as well.

Despite pre-event Monte test shunt, Breen is feeling in confident mood

Photo by: Bastien Roux

“A lot of people didn’t get a lot of holidays over Christmas and a lot of people have been working extremely hard on the project, and that goes back to even before myself and Paul put pen to paper. There has been a massive effort.

“It is special and it does feel like you are part of something special every time you get behind the wheel of it. People there know what they have been capable of in the past, in terms of building performing cars on their debut with the new regulations, and there is an air of anticipation about that.”

Whatever happens this season, Breen’s love of rallying will be ever-present for the onlooker. You only have to watch a stage end interview to understand this special connection he has for the WRC. His passion - be it tears of joy or sadness, or an entertaining turn of phrase - in addition to his unwavering ability have won him plenty of fans over the years. The WRC will be all the better with Breen in the fold full-time and if last year is anything to go by then he will certainly make the most of his long-awaited opportunity.

“It is a dream come true for me,” he says, “so I hope people realise that. It is a dream for a lot of people that I’m getting to live.”

Can Breen make the most of his dream come true WRC gig?

Photo by: Bastien Roux