Irish driver Craig Breen has been named the World Rally Driver of the Year, by the WRC. The vote was conducted via an online poll on WRC.com and Breen finished first on 39% of the total votes. He won a tight battle with second placed Mads Ostberg of Norway, who took 38%. Sebastien Loeb took third spot, with just 8% of the vote.
Breen came in to the 2012 season as the WRC Academy champiuon, however the Waterford man experienced a tough season. The 22 year old started this season as he had finished the last, winning the SWRC in Monte Carlo before following that up with a second placed finish in Sweden in the seocn dround of the Super 2000 category.
Tragedy struck in June however, when his best friend and co-driver, Welshman Gareth Roberts, was killed in a crash at the Targa Florio rally in Sicily. Breen returned to racing several weeks later and on Roberts' home event, Rally GB, Breen enjoyed another WRC win. He followed that win up with a win in France and, two weeks ago, a victory at the Rally de Espana to take the Super 2000 World Rally Championship. That win secured Breen's second world rally title in as many years.
