Zagreb (AFP) - On the eve of the Croatia Rally, Hyundai team boss Cyril Abiteboul said "emotions are still raw" following the death of driver Craig Breen last week.
"Craig was laid to rest yesterday and it's been a very emotional time for all of us," said Abiteboul in a team statement on Wednesday.
The fourth leg of the World Rally Championship starts on Thursday a week after Breen died when he spun and his Hyundai hit a wooden pole in a pre-event testing.
"Road conditions were slippery and the car slid off the road at a relatively low speed and made contact with a wooden fence," said Abiteboul."A post from this fence intruded into the cabin through the driver's side window."
"As far as can be determined, Craig's passing was instantaneous."
Co-driver James Fulton was unharmed.
"Our hearts go out to him," said Abiteboul."We are doing everything we can to support James.
"As far as can be ascertained, there was no issue with any element of the car, the tyres or the safety equipment," Abiteboul said, adding that local police, the governing body of motorsports the FIA and the WRC were all investigating.
The pole Breen struck at Golubovac near the town of Lobor has become a small roadside shrine surrounded by candles.
The rally will not pass the spot.Breen was training and "test drives are not allowed to be held on roads where the competition will be held," the organisers told AFP.
The last driver to die while rallying was Augusto Mendes, whose car toppled into a ravine during the 1989 Rally of Portugal.
Mendes was one of 14 deaths of rally competitors between 1982 and 1990.The sport found ways to compete more safely and before last week no competitor had died since German Joerg Bastuck, a co-driver in the junior world championship who was hit by another car when changing a tyre on the course in the 2006 Rally of Catalunya.
Breen had been preparing to drive Hyundai's third car in the Croatia race.
On Monday, the team said that after consulting with Breen's family and with Fulton, they would enter the other two "in honour of Craig Breen".
As Breen's team is only entering two cars, its chief rival Toyota has agreed to nominate only two cars to collect points in the manufacturers' table.
The Hyundais, driven by Belgian Thierry Neuville, who is second in the driver standings, and Finn Esapekka Lappi will carry a special livery.
'Sombre occasion'
On Wednesday, the team posted a video on social media showing the new colours being applied with "Craig" on the bonnet and the phrases "Craig Breen 1990-2023" and "In memoriam Craig Breen" on the sides.The car is decorated in the colours of the Irish flag.
"Craig Breen was deeply proud of his Irish roots and was a beloved member of the Irish rally community," tweeted the team with the hashtag '#ForCraig'.
Breen's funeral was held in Waterford in Ireland on Tuesday.
"Emotions are still raw and there has been an amazing outpouring of grief for Craig, who was an incredible person to know, as a team-mate, competitor and friend," said Abiteboul.
The ruling body of motorsports, the FIA, said the rally "will be a sombre occasion."
Toyota, which has three drivers in the top five of the standings, said on their web site on Wednesday that "the team arrives in Croatia with heavy hearts."
"As well as being a top driver, Craig was a real enthusiast for rallying, and we shared the same passion for old rally cars and for the history of our sport," said Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
