Breen: It was not my intention to overtake Neuville in Powerstage

Craig Breen explains that he did not overtake Thierry Neuville in purpose on the final stage of Rally Sweden and comprehends Hyundai's tactics.

Hyundai Motorsport decided to give team orders in favor of Neuville, therefore Breen checked one-minute late at the stop control of Powerstage and received a 10-second time penalty for his delay. After this penalty, the Irishman dropped behind his teammate for 0,5 seconds before the start of Powerstage, but Neuville started first in that stage. The last one had a spin in a corner and dropped some seconds there, but Breen did not know about this incident and eventually he took back his second place, so Hyundai's strategic games did not bear fruit.

"It wasn’t the intention in the Power Stage", Breen said. 

"We made a decision as a team before then to allow Thierry the best possible chance to have the second place. 

"Obviously it’s an important part of the project this year that Thierry has a good chance of the drivers’ championship. 

"It worked out the way that it did, it obviously wasn’t my intention. 

"You have no information in the car of how he is doing in the stage. 

"I’d only six seconds to Kalle behind and trying to understand what it is to be on the pace and dropping six seconds on the Power Stage like that is impossible. 

"It worked out the way that it did and that’s the way it is unfortunately".

Photo Credits: Hyundai