Hyundai Motorsport has dropped nine-times FIA World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Loeb from its line-up for Rally Sweden in mid-February, instead opting to run Irishman Craig Breen.

Loeb had originally been down to compete in selected events in a car-share campaign with Dani Sordo, and the Frenchman was set to take part in Rally Sweden, with Sordo sitting the event out.

On Monday, following a poor weekend for Loeb in Monte Carlo, Hyundai confirmed Breen would take up Loeb’s seat and return to action alongside Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak in the i20 Couple WRC on February 13.

“We have taken the decision to add Craig to our line-up for Rally Sweden alongside Thierry and Ott in a bid to field the most competitive package possible for the event with the best available options for road position,” commented Team Principal Andrea Adamo.

“We opted to bring in Craig based on his performance in Sweden in 2018 when he finished in second place, and the potential he showed in our i20 Coupe WRC last season.”

Hyundai had been due to run a pre-event test in Sweden this week, but have postponed it “because of a lack of snow and ice currently in the region.”

A revised test is being considered for February 5-7 in the area close to the rally with all three crews.