26 Nov 12

Breen wins
driver of the
year poll

Craig Breen is WRC.com's driver of the year for 2012. But it was close with the Irishman receiving just one per cent more votes than runner-up Mads Ostberg from Norway.

Breen, the inaugural FIA WRC Academy champion, received 39 per cent of the votes with Ostberg netting 38 per cent. Sebastien Loeb, who clinched his ninth FIA World Rally Championship crown in 2012, received eight per cent of the votes with Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala earning three per cent of the votes. Dani Sordo and Evgeny Novikov were next up on two per cent.

It was a season of triumph and tragedy for Breen in 2012. Although he finished the year as Super 2000 world champion, there was tremendous sadness when his best friend and co-driver Gareth Roberts lost his life in an accident on the Targa Florio Rally in Sicily back in June. Breen’s recovery netted three category wins, including an emotional triumph on Roberts’ home event, Wales Rally GB, back in September.

Ostberg, meanwhile, was immense this year. The Ford privateer scored his maiden victory on Vodafone Rally de Portugal and narrowly lost out on third place in the overall drivers’ table.

To view the results click here and remember to keep visiting WRC.com for more polls soon, including Heroes of 2012, Rising stars of 2012, Rallies of 2012, Cars of 2012, Moments of 2012.