Motorsport world mourns the tragic death of WRC superstar Craig Breen

Motorsport as a whole will always come with risks, that are unavertable.

Motorsport world mourns the tragic death of WRC superstar Craig Breen

Late WRC driver Craig Breen(via Goodwood.com)

Hyundai Motorsport on 13th April, announced the passing of Craig Breen following an accident in a testing event preceding the Croatia Rally. The team expressed its condolences to his family. The Irishman, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries after his car was reported to have collided with a roadside pole.

The team went on to state, “Co-driver James Fulton was unharmed in the incident that occurred just after midday local time.”, along with opting to make no further statement at this time. The news shocked the sphere of motorsport as a whole, once again reiterating the dangers it poses.

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Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas also reacted to the terrible news, sharing his condolences on Twitter with “Shocking news. RIP Craig Breen”. FIA’s Mohammed Bin Sulayem also extended his support regarding the matter in a statement, “On behalf of the FIA, I extend sincere condolences to the family & friends of Craig Breen following his passing during a private testing accident. Our thoughts & prayers are with his loved ones & the Rally community at this difficult time.”

Craig Breen was born to Irish Motorsports royalty. His father, Ray Breen, was an Irish Rally National champion. Craig, who started his career in Karting in 1999, became a full-time rally driver in 2009. He won Irish, British, and International Fiesta Sporting championships, before getting into WRC Academy and securing the inaugural championship. He won the 2012 SWRC as well. He hasn’t won a WRC but came close to one six times as he finished P2.

Related: “Huge admiration for rally drivers,” Sebastian Vettel addresses WRC rumors ahead of first post-F1 race

Be it the Rally Championship or Formula One, motorsport will always be potentially life-threatening

Craig Breen
Craig Breen

The risks motorsport can pose are no secret, with the realm having endured several fatalities since its inception. Despite safety measures being developed over time, the sport has been unable to prevent casualties. They are still evolving and have, on several occasions, saved drivers during horrific crashes.

With respect to the WRC, apart from the late Craig Breen, some casualties include Co-drivers Jorg Bastuck and Micheal Park. The Ford Fiesta of Barry Clark, unfortunately, hit Jorg Bastuck, while Michael Park passed a result of injuries sustained when his Peugeot left the road and struck a tree. Both incidents occurred in the space of seven months, casting a dark shadow over the sport. Rodger Freeth, in 1993 sadly died because his car veered off the road and rolled into a pine plantation. 1989 proved to be the most horrific year, amassing 5 deaths.

Regardless of any technical innovations introduced into the sport, there is never a guarantee of safety, and it will always be dangerous. Formula drivers like Zhou Guanyu, Max Verstappen, and Romain Grosjean have been subject to dangerous crashes and have been lucky to walk away alive. Such unfortunate incidents always reveal loopholes in the safety system and force sanctioning bodies to implement new regulations. Motorsport as a whole will always come with risks, that are unavertable.

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