Adamo explained the decision, saying: “We have taken the decision to add Craig Breen to our line-up for Rally Sweden in a bid to field the most competitive package possible for the event with the best available options for road position.”

“We opted to bring Craig based on his performance in Sweden when he finished in second place, and the potential he showed in our i20 Coupe WRC last season.” – concluded the Italian boss -.   

Adamo had already warned before the start of the season his intention to make the necessary changes as in when required, in order to accrue the most points for the team during 2020. Undoubtedly, he is a man of his word. 

It was said and done. He didn’t hesitate to leave the most successful rally driver in history (Loeb and his nine crowns) behind.

Sebastien Loeb’s lack of rhythm at Monte Carlo

 It is obvious that the poor performance of Loeb during the Rally Monte Carlo has been determinant in changing Adamo’s mind. 

Loeb’s lack of rhythm at last week’s Alpine race prevented him from even approaching the lead. In the end, he finished in the sixth position, five minutes behind the winner. 

But that is not all, his off-track stint on Sunday made him wasted a lot of precious time and nearly costs him the race. To make things even worse, it was his teammate Neuville that won. The driver from Sainth Vith managed to defeat both the Toyotas of Seb Ogier and Elfyn Evans. 

Initially, Loeb was pencilled down for six races over the current World Championship, alternating with Dani Sordo at the wheel of the third Hyundai car. Hyundai and Adamo’s new changeable strategy, however, means nothing is set in stone. 

Breen, a great sustitute player

Regarding the other side of this coin, Craig Breen, it is worth mentioning that he hasn’t been on board an i20 Coupe WRC since last season. It was in 2019 that he took part in Rally Finland, where he finished seventh and in Rally GB where he got the eight position. 

Both performances made a great impression, particularly considering the fact that he had been out of the game since losing his seat in Citroën in mid-2018. 

And speaking of changes, Hyundai has also had to postpone this week’s Rally Sweden training sessions to next week (5-7 February). The reason for this change of schedule is the same that is threatening the celebration of the race itself: the lack of snow. 

The International Automotive Federation is due to decide next week if the Scandinavian race, scheduled for the 13th to the 15th of February, actually goes ahead.