Q&A: CRAIG BREEN

So, ahead of his home round of the FIA European Rally Championship, we asked the 25-year-old Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16 driver about his hopes and aims for this year’s event.

How have you prepared for year’s Circuit of Ireland, and have your preparations gone well?“I try not to do anything too much different to any other event really. There isn’t much I can do except go over my pace notes from last year and try and make some improvements by watching the in-car videos. We have a test on Monday close to my home that I’m looking forward to, but other than that it’s business as usual.”

Given you have one big and one low score in this year’s ERC, how important is a good result on this year’s Circuit of Ireland for your title challenge?“It’s very important. We’d like to carry on from where we finished off in Latvia. That was a good result in very difficult conditions, so it’s important to build on that win. I consider the Circuit of Ireland to be just like any other event – they’re all important rallies in the ERC.”

Do you feel you have a true home advantage, or are there too many other local drivers who have the potential to take ERC points away from you?“I haven’t got any more home advantage on the Circuit than I have with any of the other events I did last year. I live a four-hour drive away on the other side of the country, and while it’s not the biggest island in the world, I don’t spend any time up where the rally takes place. When I arrive to do the recce it will be the first time I’ve been on the stages since last year. Of course it is more comfortable when you’re at home and a lot of my friends and family will be there. The support you get from the fans, that’s where the home advantage will come from.”

Looking at your visiting ERC rivals, who do you expect to be the most competitive?“Kajetan Kajetanowicz will definitely be a force to be reckoned with – he’s very strong on Tarmac and he’ll be a big threat. The drivers from the Czech Republic are always quick on Tarmac and then you have Alexey Lukyanuk. Tarmac might be new to him, but he’ll be fast. And there are all the very fast locals drivers in R5 cars, like Sam and Josh Moffett and Alastair Fisher. It will be a good battle, that’s for sure.”

Would anything less than victory in Ireland be a disappointment for you?“Yes! If it were any other event, I’d say no, so long as we scored a good haul of points, but I’ve got a big thing in my heart for the Circuit of Ireland. Outside the ERC, it’s got a big name, and I remember going to watch the event as a kid as it passed Waterford. My absolute hero and inspiration was Frank Meagher, who won the Circuit of Ireland in 1992. It’s always been a dream of mine to follow my hero and put my name on the winner’s trophy too.”