In the shock of Craig Breen’s tragic death in testing, Hyundai has had its hands full adjusting the program for the third car in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The Irishman shared the car with Spaniard Dani Sordo and was expected to contest select events in 2023. Sordo was ruled out as the only replacement, so the Koreans are now looking for a solution for the third i20 Rally1.
Sordo has driven regularly for the Japanese since the brand’s World Championship comeback in 2014, but only on a part-time basis since 2018. The Spaniard drove the car at Rally Portugal as planned and will also contest Rally Sardinia in June. There are no further plans for the third car, but it is certain that Hyundai is looking for a new driver.
Team boss Cyril Abiteboul says the team is weighing their options and prefers a long-term solution. The decision on who should succeed Breen will therefore be carefully considered. “I can confirm that Dani will not drive all the rallies and that we will soon announce the driver line-up that is currently being put together,” says the Frenchman, who is already working flat out to fill the third car.
New driver is to be integrated into the WRC project in the long term
“We’re looking at it, but it’s too early to announce anything,” he explains. “All I can say is that we’re not only concentrating on this year, but also on the next two seasons. We don’t just want to find a stopgap after the tragic events. I want to make a strategic decision for the team and the company .”
The new driver is to be integrated into Hyundai’s WRC project “in the long term” and will be used as early as 2023. According to Abiteboul, a young driver is likely to take the part-time cockpit, but five-time WRC winner Kris Meeke is also an option with his experience. The Northern Irishman stood in for Breen in the Hyundai Team Portugal, who, in addition to his World Championship appearances, also wanted to contest the Rally Portugal in Rally2.
Meeke drove in Portugal with Breen’s former co-driver James Fulton. Abiteboul says: “In a certain scenario, Kris is an option, but we’ve built many different scenarios. We’re thinking long-term and that’s an indication of what we’re looking for.”
Breen died while testing in Croatia
The commitment of the young talent still has to be approved by the Hyundai management, said the team boss. In Korea it still has to be decided whether there will be a short-term or a long-term solution.
Breen had a fatal accident while testing for the Croatia Rally, which is why Hyundai withdrew the third car there. Portugal was the first rally to see three i20 Rally1s again, and Hyundai commemorated the 1990-born Irishman’s death with the hashtag #ForCraig and a special livery on Sordo’s helmet.