Mistake costs Craig Breen podium spot in Wales Rally

By Martin Walsh

Within sight of a podium finish, Waterford’s Craig Breen (Citroen C3 WRC) had to be content with fourth overall on the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, after a mistake and a spin on one of yesterday’s closing stages.

There was drama right to the finish. French ace Sebastien Ogier took the M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC to a 10.6-second victory over the Toyota Yaris WRC of Finland’s Jari Matti Latvala, whose fellow countryman and team mate, Esapekka Lappi, was 24.5 seconds further behind and 35.3 seconds ahead of Breen. Series leader, Frenchman Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC), recovered from ninth, after an off-road excursion, to claim fifth.

Breen began Saturday’s nine stages in sixth place and was one of the star performers of the second leg, where there was no midday service.

Third-fastest on the opening stage of the day, Breen was quickly into fifth and showed fine form on the next stage, where he was joint second-fastest. He finished the day just 1.7 seconds shy of third-placed Lappi and only 13.5 seconds behind rally leader, Ogier.

Breen wasn’t the only driver on an upward curve. Reigning world champion, Sebastien Ogier, climbed from fifth to rally leader at the end of the leg. It was remarkable, given that twenty-four hours earlier his first and second gears had broken and he was down in eighth place.

Title rival and long-time rally leader, Ott Tanak, stopped when his Toyota Yaris WRC broke the sump guard and damaged the radiator, following a heavy landing over a crest. Thierry Neuville was also in trouble, on the stage at Sweet Lamb Hafren. He lost 45 seconds when he slid his Hyundai i20 WRC into a gully. Luckily, a number of spectators lifted the car back on track. Ogier finished the day 4.4 seconds ahead of Latvala, with Breen on the cusp of third spot.

Yesterday, Latvala dominated the opening two stages and edged 3.6 seconds ahead of Ogier. He also took the five points for winning the Power Stage (S.S. 20). Tanak, back under Rally2, was second-quickest and annexed four points for his title bid. Breen, who reckoned his tyre choice wasn’t the best, saw his hopes of third spot evaporate when he spun his Citroen C3 WRC.

Not content with second, Ogier pushed hard and regained the lead on S.S. 21, where he was a mere two-tenths in front of Latvala. Quickest on the final pair of stages, he sealed his first win since Corsica. With two rounds of the WRC remaining, he has cut a pre-event, 23-point deficit to Neuville to seven points. Tanak is 14 points behind, in third.

Breen said: “I’m pleased with my weekend. I really gave it everything this morning, but the other guys were just faster than us. It was important to get a result for the team. I’m now going to try and build on it and keep the momentum going at the last couple of rallies, so we can finish the season as strongly as possible. And, given that I have a bit of preference for tarmac, I’m already really looking forward to (round 12) Spain.

Meanwhile, Welsh driver Matt Edwards (Ford Fiesta R5) clinched the Prestone British Rally Championship on the penultimate round of the series, on Friday’s leg of Wales Rally GB. He was denied a clean sweep of event victories, when his Fiesta punctured on the day’s penultimate stage, but a top-four finish saw him through. In the Junior BRC category, Cork’s Kevin Horgan (Skoda Fabia R2) retired on the opening day and bowed out of the title fight.