Breen in action on the Circuit of Ireland 2012 |
The Waterford driver also becomes part
of the Peugeot Rally Academy, the descendent of the Peugeot Cup. It
is designed to give talented young drivers the ability to progress in
rallying with the backing of a factory. He is joined by Jeremi Ancian
and Stephane Lefebvre, who came first and second, respectively, in
the Volant 207 championship.
"This is incredible and beyond my
dreams. I am really excited to work with a manufacturer like Peugeot
Sport, I think of it since I was a young boy. To arrive here in front
of a nice season is a good position to be in. My objective is to show
good speed and challenge for some victories on a regular basis. For
the testing program, I will give the best I can to support the
development of the 208 Type R5.” He said.
Breen is set to contest the Rally
Liepāja-Ventspils in Latvia, the next round of the ERC, in a Peugeot
207 S2000. After this event he will get an eight round campaign in
Peugeot's brand new 208 R5, in which he will carry out an intensive
test and development programme throughout the year. Dave Moynihan
will partner Breen, taking over the pacenotes from Paul Nagle.
Speculation was rife that Breen was to
sit out competing on the international stage after he hadn't released
plans to compete in any championships. However this nine round
campaign could see Breen win the ERC at his first attempt, as,
historically speaking, drivers rarely undertake a full compliment of
rallies in the ERC, or it's predecessor, the IRC. However Peugeot
Sport Team Principal Bruno Famin says the team aren't fighting for
the title.
“With the Peugeot Rally Academy, we
are taking another step forward in terms of the support we provide to
the winners of our promotional formulas. The 208 Rally Cup [in
France] has all the required elements to be a great sporting success,
with the 208 R2 which is already a leading car, a varied calendar and
the unrivalled concept of offering a ‘drive’ to the winner.” he
said.
“I am confident that Craig will
confirm all the good things that have been said about him in this
year's ERC, and I can't wait to see how our winners will fare
alongside him. There is no pressure on them to achieve results. It’s
all about accumulating experience for these young drivers; we’re
not fighting for the championship.”
Breen faces still opposition in the
form of Francois Delecour and Skoda works driver Jan Kopecky, who is
still chasing his first international rally title. The Sainteloc Racing team will run Peugeot's works effort.
Note: The above image is copyright to Jordan Murphy/Global Rally News, no unauthorised use.
Note: The above image is copyright to Jordan Murphy/Global Rally News, no unauthorised use.
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