Strong Irish interest in WRC opener
It is a historic week for Irish motorsport as a record three Motorsport Ireland licence holders are preparing to tackle the full FIA World Rally Championship. For the first time ever two Motorsport Ireland licence holders will share a car for the entire duration of the Championship.
Waterford’s Craig Breen and his Kerry co-driver Paul Nagle, will this week, compete on the Monte Carlo Rally for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. The iconic Monte Carlo Rally is the opening round of the 2022 World Rally Championship and marks the first event for the Irish team as part of a two-year deal with Ford.
A third Irish competitor, Aaron Johnston, will also contest the full championship as co-driver to Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta and as part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. It will be the Tyrone man’s first full season in the sport’s top-flight.
Both Ford competitors have enjoyed considerable success at world-level. Nagle has won five rounds of the World Rally Championship alongside Kris Meeke – Formula One ace Eddie Irvine took four Grand Prix wins during the 1999 season with Ferrari – making the Killarney man Ireland most successful Motorsport Ireland licence holder ever in terms of FIA-endorsed world championship events. The Breen/Nagle partnership stretches across 2019 to 2021 when they drove, on a part-time basis for Hyundai.
Johnston’s deal is equally important, and his Toyota contract means there are two Motorsport Ireland international co-drivers competing in the top-flight this season.
Speaking at Saturday’s WRC launch event, in Austria, where his new Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 was revealed for the first time, Breen said; "It's getting very, very, real now. I think the public and fans don't realize just quite how much effort and energy is going to all of these cars. The technology is amazing really, we are very, very lucky to be taking part in this amazing championship this year.”
Rallye Monte Carlo gets underway at 17:45 Irish time on Thursday with a ceremonial start in downtown Monte Carlo. There are two stages late on Thursday night, including a run over the legendary Col de Turini at 20:30 Irish time with the event finishing early on Sunday afternoon.
There are two other Irish competitors are on the entry list. Former Irish Tarmac Rally champion, Eamon Boland and his co-driver MJ Morrisey will drive a privately entered Ford Fiesta Rally2 car on the four-day event. It is their first rally since the 2020 Monte Carlo Rally where they finished 26th.