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In these days of lockdown, Craig Breen gets in behind the wheel and loses himself again on the road.



It's not the real thing, of course, not in this time of social distancing and non-essential journeys being kept to within two kilometres from home.



In fact, the experienced FIA World Rally Championship driver from Waterford hasn't got into his own car in weeks.



Footballers and hurlers can use their back gardens or local parks and fields to keep their skills sharp.



Breen, however, has to rely on the racing simulator he picked up from Digital Motorsports to keep himself ticking over, as well as his personal training regime.



Instead of stepping off the snow covered ground and into his Hyundai car, as he did at WRC Rally Sweden in February, Breen jumps into a simulator that is situated on the landing in his house.

Between that and his home gym, work continues. But kicking a ball around said back garden doesn't appeal.



"If the All-Ireland was on in my garden, I wouldn't watch it," he laughed. "Other sports never appealed to me. They bore me to tears.



"I've known nothing different since I was eight - for me, it's always been motorsports.



"And the simulator is the next best thing as we get through this."



Professional drivers are dependent on such technology to get them through these dog days.



"It's gone beyond PlayStation stuff," said Breen.



"Pretty much the whole motorsport world are on these now.



"The way the technology has come on, it's very, very close to the real thing without feeling the speed and the G Force inside the car.



"There's also more of a circuit orientation to it than rallying but in regard to driving, it's absolutely bang on."





After a difficult year, the 30-year-old was feeling good about the future when the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered almost every sporting event worldwide.

Breen was released by Citroen at the end of 2018, and then the manufacturer's decision to withdraw from the WRC the following year had left him fighting to stay involved.



"It was unfortunate," he said. "It was a massive opportunity to drive for Citroen.



"I really thought I had got the golden ticket, to drive for one of the most successful teams, one that had dominated the championship.



"But it all went wrong. There were the well documented struggles with the car.



"It was such a shame because it was a golden chance to do something special.



"Unfortunately, my sport does not rely solely on talent shining through to be successful - so much of it is about politics and sponsorship.



"You have to be in the right place at the right time. When I got my break I thought I was."



Breen has had to show real mental resolve and remain positive as he made just two appearances for Hyundai last year.



When nine-time WRC champ Sebastien Loeb was rested for Sweden, an opening appeared for Breen and Paul Nagle, his co-driver.



Given the nod by team boss Andrea Adamo, they were given the job of protecting colleagues Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja while scoring as many points as possible in the manufacturers race. The Irishmen finished well in seventh.



"It's been a while since I've had a full programme, so it's a strange situation," Breen acknowledged.



"Since Finland last year, we've tried to do as best as job as we can. The team have recognised that and taken us under their wing."



Breen is contracted until the end of this year. With the factory currently closed, it's just been a case of checking in with the team.



He remains hopeful that the WRC could be up and running again in time for the biggest event of the year in Finland at the end of July.



Ultimately he believes his longer term future is still bright at this level.



"Unfortunately there's not enough seats to satisfy everyone, but hopefully that changes in the next while - some drivers are coming to the end of their careers," remarked Breen.



"They will definitely want to finish this year's series off because next year's will start again in Monte Carlo in February.



"But really, no-one knows how long it will be before we're back. The priority for now is getting everyone through this".