Breen and Nagle have to be content with fourth at Rally Croatia

Having held the third and final podium spot for most of the event, the Irish crew (M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally 1) had to be content with fourth overall in round three of the World Rally Championship

Craig Breen of Ireland and Paul Nagle of Ireland had to settle for fourth in Rally Croatia. Photo by Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images

Having held the third and final podium spot for most of the event, the Irish crew of Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally 1) had to be content with fourth overall in Rally Croatia, round three of the World Rally Championship. They annexed two additional championship points from the Power Stage where they were fourth quickest to move into third overall in the championship standings.

On Friday’s opening leg dominated by Finland’s Kali Rovanpera (Toyota Yaris) Breen/Nagle ended the day in third - 11.9 seconds behind second placed Ott Tanak (Hyundai). On one stage when it appeared their Puma was about to hit a kerb, they took evasive action into a field entrance, also narrowly avoiding a water hydrant. 

During Saturday’s leg, they maintained third but found the conditions, particularly on S.S. 10 and 11 extremely difficult. They spun on S.S. 12. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) ended the leg in fourth - 4.9 seconds behind Breen after he was handed a one minute penalty for speeding on the previous day’s road section. 

Rovanpera seemed set for victory only for Tanak to take the lead on the penultimate stage where he was on more suitable tyres during a hail storm. However, Rovanpera overturned the 1.4 second deficit to win by 4.3 seconds. Neuville overhauled Breen to move to third on the penultimate stage and almost threw it all away when he crashed on the final stage, his car finishing with two punctured wheels. Breen opted for a secure fourth - 46.3 seconds behind the Frenchman.

Meanwhile, in the opening round of the British Rally Championship, the Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring and Clacton Rally, the Welsh/Killarney pairing of Osian Pryce/Noel O’Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5) edged out the Ballylickey/Killarney crew of Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (VW Polo GTi R5) by 5.4 seconds. Cronin led the 14-stage 55 mile event until S.S. 12. Initially, reigning Junior BRC champion Ruairi Bell (Skoda Fabia R5) gave a fine performance early on where he was second to Cronin only to retire with mechanical issues.

In the Ronnie Hawe Monaghan Rally, round three of the Triton Showers-backed Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, local driver Josh Moffett (Hyundai i20 R5) took a start to finish victory to secure his third straight win of the series. He finished twelve seconds ahead of the Ford Fiesta WRC driven by his older brother Sam. The battle for third went the way of Armagh’s Darren Gass (Citroen C3) after Dubliner Robert Barrable (VW Polo GTi R5) punctured on the sixth stage.

Croatia Rally (Round 3, World Rally Championship): 1. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 2h. 48m. 21.5s; 2. O. Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +4.3s; 3. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m. 21.0s; 4. C. Breen/P. Nagle (Ford Puma Rally1)+3m. 07.3s; 5. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+3m. 46.0s; 6. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +8m. 08.5s.

Manufacturers’ Standings after Round 3: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 126points; 2. Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 84pts; 3. M-Sport Ford WRT 80pts; Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG 30pts.

Drivers’ Standings after Round 3: 1. K. Rovanpera 76pts; 2. T. Neuville 47pts; 3. C. Breen 30pts; 4. S. Loeb 27pts; 5. O. Tanak 27pts; 6. T. Katsuta 26pts.

Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring and Clacton Rally (Round 1, British Rally Championship): 1. O. Pryce/N. O’Sullivan (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) 42m. 38.4s; 2. K. Cronin/M. Galvin (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5) +5.4s; 3. J. Williams/D. Roberts (Hyundai i20 R5)+ 21.2s.

Ronnie Hawe Monaghan Rally (Round 3, Triton Showers-backed Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship) Monaghan: 1. J. Moffett/J. McKenna (Hyundai i20 R5) 50m. 59.5s; 2. S. Moffett/K. Moriarty (Ford Fiesta WRC)+12s; 3. D. Gass/B. McNulty (Citroen C3 Rally2)+1m. 23.5s; 4. R. Barrable/P. Robinson (VW Polo GTi R5)+1m. 32.3s; 5. S. Leonard/J. McCaffrey (Ford Fiesta R5)+2m. 17.1s; 6. B. Cumiskey/D. Mullen (VW Polo GTi R5)+2m. 40.6s; 7. P. Barrett/K. Reilly (Ford Fiesta R5)+2m. 41s; 8. T. McNulty/P. Kiely (Ford Fiesta R5)+2m. 47.0s; 9. D. Tourish/D. McAlaney (Ford Escort)+2m. 47.5s; 10. D. Keenan/E. Sherry (Ford Escort)+2m. 56.9s.

Provisional Championship Positions after Round 3: 1. J. Moffett 61 points; 2. D. Gass 47pts; 3. R. Barrable 33pts.