Breen and Martin join Citroen for the first time to recce before Rally Sweden debut

Craig Breen completed his first event with the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team in Monte Carlo last week – but the Irishman was an interested observer rather than competing driver.

Breen and co-driver Scott Martin completed the recce in the French Alps and then remained with the team for the duration to familiarise himself with his new team and surroundings.

He will compete in a Citroen DS 3 WRC for the first time at next month’s Rally Sweden.

“It’s just fantastic to be part of the whole team,” he said. “The recce, everything was a great experience for the future. It’s been so worthwhile to stay on for the rest of the weekend to see how these guys operate and to know which person is doing which job, when it comes to Sweden it should be a fairly smooth transition in that regard.”

Breen admitted working with a world championship-winning squad like Citroen was an eyeopener for the former WRC Academy and SWRC title winner.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “Doing the recce was so cool, Scott [Martin] and I came out to the car in the morning from the hotel and the car had been warmed up, all the frost was gone from the screen – everything was absolutely ready to give you the best possible opportunity. All I had to do was deal with the round thing in front of me and tell Scott the notes.

“I was looking at the petrol gauge and thinking: ‘Where shall we pull in and put fuel in her?’ But then I remembered these guys will do that for us! I can’t wait to get to Sweden.”

Former Monte Carlo Rally winner Francois Delecour returned to the scene of former glories last week, driving a Peugeot 207 S2000.the reigning FIA R-GT champion starred on the event, finishing a credible 16th overall despite spending two minutes in a ditch on Saturday afternoon.