Craig Breen’s expectations for Rally Sweden are different to usual. Normally it would be about aiming for at least a podium, but this weekend it’s about putting a smile back on his face.
Breen endured a difficult time during last year’s World Rally Championship with M-Sport, retiring on five of the final seven rallies. That led to him and the team parting ways and Breen subsequently returning to Hyundai on a part-time program.
Sweden will be his first outing with Hyundai since his return and speaking ahead of the event he explained that this weekend is all about learning to enjoy driving Rally1 cars again.
“I feel honestly really good with the car,” Breen told DirtFish.
“I was lucky to get two days of testing with the car this time so it felt great. Honestly, I felt confident with it but it’s always easy to go fast on a test road.
“It’s only when you get your teeth into the rally and compare against the other guys we’ll have a fair idea where we’re at.
“But for the moment everything feels really good honestly and I feel confident and it’s important here.
“There hasn’t been anything set in stone [in terms of targets] let’s say, but I suppose to pick up where we left off at the end of ’21 when we were able to support the team well – pick up podiums, points, and yeah, that’s obviously where I want to be myself.
“It was a hard old struggle last year. I struggled to enjoy any of it to be honest with you from the second half onwards, so I just want to get back to a smile on my face and enjoying these cars, these roads.
“It’s a hugely important thing for me and that’s the biggest box I want to tick off this weekend.”
Breen added that he decided to walk away from M-Sport at the end of last year in order to alleviate the pressure on himself, and that Hyundai was the ideal place to go to next since it’s where he last felt fully competitive.
“I chose to walk away because honestly I wanted to change.
“Mentally it was an incredibly frustrating year for myself, and for everybody else in the team. No-one wanted results like that.
“I struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I completely understand the situation from all sides of the table. But this opportunity presented itself, and for me the last place where we were able to perform at a high level and able to bring home results was here so I grabbed it with both hands.
“We were able to manage to work out a deal and I want to try and make the most of it now.”
Breen’s return to Hyundai coincided with 2019 WRC champion Ott Tänak heading in the opposite direction, and since Tänak’s return to M-Sport many have been vocal about the fact that M-Sport finally has a driver capable of winning rallies again.
Naturally, Breen doesn’t agree with that trail of thinking.
“No, it’s gibberish to be honest with you,” was Breen’s response when asked if those comments hurt.
“I know what I’m capable of. I know what I can do given the right tools, the right things and we’ve proven that in the past.
“As with those situations last year we proved we were able to be of a competitive level but I’m just fully focused with this season ahead with Hyundai and trying to get the best results out of that.”
