Breen's confidence "still high" after WRC testing crash

The new M-Sport Ford signing saw his Monte Carlo pre-event test this week cut short after clipping a bridge parapet, which sent his Ford Puma off the road and into a roll down a 15 metre drop, before coming to rest on its roof.

Luckily Breen and co-driver Paul Nagle were able to escape from the cockpit unhurt and M-Sport was able to retrieve the car from the mountainside with a crane and complete an overnight repair.

Despite the incident, Breen says his confidence hasn’t been knocked, with the 31-year-old eager to begin his first full-season in WRC’s top tier.

“Honestly speaking I still feel quite good, perhaps famous last words,” said Breen at the WRC’s official season launch.

“Literally the last comment I made to Paul [Nagle] before we set out on that run was ‘everything feels amazing and I feel really confident', and then that happened.

“But honestly the accident as much as it was a bit gut wrenching knowing the effort that has gone in to prepare the car, it was something very very unlucky.

"It wasn’t like I arrived into a corner a gear too high and ran out of road. It was a series of unfortunate events that led us to going off the road, but confidence is still high.

“The work that has gone in has been so intense by everybody behind the scenes from M-Sport and Ford Performance and I think the excitement is still keeping that confidence high and that anticipation.

"I can’t wait to get going, I still feel good.”

Ford Puma Rally1 livery

Photo by: Drew Gibson

M-Sport unveiled the final iteration of its Puma featuring a new bold livery at the launch ahead of the WRC’s voyage into a new Rally1 hybrid era.

The British squad will field four Pumas in Monte Carlo with Breen joined by Adrien Fourmaux and Gus Greensmith, which will contend the full season.

The latter won’t be eligible to score manufacturer points next weekend.

The fourth Puma will be driven by nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb after securing a deal with the team for Monte Carlo only as it stands. Loeb is set to test the Puma today in France, fresh off the back of finishing second at the Dakar Rally.