IRC community remembers talented co-driver Roberts

IRC Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas has led the tributes to co-driver Gareth Roberts, who lost his life in an accident on stage eight of Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia this morning.

“It’s a very sad accident,” said Nicolas. “The death of a 24-year-old young man at the start of a fantastic career is always a tragedy. From the start of this year, together with Craig Breen, Gareth has put in some excellent performances and the crew really got themselves noticed. There’s no doubt in my mind that these performances would have got even better. At this terrible time, I’m thinking very much of Gareth’s family, to whom all of us at Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, pass on our sincere condolences.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, who won the IRC title in 2011 with co-driver Ola Fløene, said: “I didn’t know Gareth very well, but he seemed like a really great guy and he was clearly a very good co-driver. Ola and I send our condolences to Gareth’s family, friends and to Craig.”

Third-placed Giandomenico Basso said: “This is one of those terrible, chance things that is very hard to believe. It’s a horrible situation we are all faced with together and I am so sad and sorry.”

Paolo Andreucci, the six-time Targa Florio winner who finished fifth, said: “I feel very bad…very bad. Unfortunately a very talented young man has gone. In the fullness of time, maybe we need to look more in detail at the causes and what exactly happened to see if we can learn anything. But for now though, I’m just thinking of Gareth, Craig and his family.”

Saintéloc Racing, for whom Breen and Roberts were due to contest next week’s Geko Ypres Rally following outings with the French team on the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally and Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse, paid its own tribute to Roberts.

“A member of our family; a young and talented 24-year-old co-driver has just left us. Saintéloc Racing, Sébastien Chetail and all our mechanics and engineers join the rest of the rallying world in offering their condolences to the people closest to Gareth, standing alongside them in this tragedy and offering all their support to Craig Breen.”