Confident Ostberg back in action

Mads Ostberg will return to the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time since the Acropolis Rally in May full of confidence following a successful build-up to this week’s Neste Oil Rally Finland.

The 24-year-old Norwegian, who claimed his maiden WRC victory in Portugal in April, won the non-championship auto24 Rally Estonia last month and also covered 50 kilometres during a pre-event test in Finland at the weekend.

“I had a good test,” said Ostberg, who drives a Ford Fiesta RS WRC for his family’s Adapta World Rally Team alongside co-driver Jonas Andersson from Sweden. “I did about 50 kilometres and the car feels really good. I can’t wait [for the rally] to get started now.”

Ostberg missed the last round of the WRC in New Zealand in late June due to funding difficulties. As a result he slipped from third to fourth in the title standings. However, his victory in Estonia - his second in succession on the high-speed gravel event - has given him a welcome boost in his efforts to make up lost ground in the title fight.

“It was a very important rally before Finland,” said Ostberg. “We tested different set-ups and got lot of confidence.”