Three years after Craig Breen’s fatal accident, the Hyundai works team is commemorating its regular driver with a special livery
On the occasion of the fourth event of the 2026 World Rally Championship (WRC) season, the Rally Croatia next weekend (April 10 to 12), the Hyundai works team will be out in force with a special design.
The design of all Hyundai i20 N Rally1 cars for the 2026 Rally Croatia is a tribute to Craig Breen. As a Hyundai works driver at the time, the Irishman had a serious accident in April 2023 during test drives in preparation for the Croatia Rally, which he did not survive.
This April 13 marks the third anniversary of Breen’s fatal accident. The special Hyundai design in his honor features the logo of the Craig Breen Foundation in addition to the prominent “For Craig” lettering. The foundation was set up at the end of 2023 to promote young rally drivers in Ireland.
“The mood in the team is still the same. We want to remember Craig Breen not only as the driver he was on the special stages, but also as the person he was off the track,” explains Hyundai Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul.
“Craig embodied the epitome of rallying in every aspect of his life; from his camaraderie at the rallies to his passion for nurturing the next generation of talent in his native Ireland,” said the team boss.
“Everyone can name something about him that has left a positive mark on him. We are honored to have been a small part of his life. I speak for the whole team when I say that we will do everything we can to keep his memory alive,” says Abiteboul.
Hyundai Sports Director Andrew Wheatley added: “It’s obvious that everyone at the service park was touched by Craig’s generosity, sincerity and humor and that we all miss his presence. These special liveries are just a small gesture for the team to pay tribute to him, especially here at Rally Croatia.”
Hyundai missed out on the podium at the first two rallies of the 2026 WRC season. At the Safari Rally in Kenya, however, Adrien Fourmaux at least managed to interrupt Toyota’s dominance with P2. In the current 2026 WRC overall standings, Fourmaux is the Hyundai driver with the most points in fourth place. His team-mates Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi are seventh and eighth in the standings respectively.
Last year, the Croatia rally was not part of the WRC calendar. After a year without a WRC round, the asphalt rally in the Balkan region is now celebrating its comeback. Compared to 2024, however, far-reaching changes have been made. The service park has been moved from Zagreb to Rijeka. Only three of the special stages from the 2024 edition are also part of this year’s route.
