Ostberg: I can go faster

Mads Ostberg reckons he can go even faster in the race to be the top Norwegian finisher in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship.

Ostberg trails illustrious countryman and 2003 world champion Petter Solberg by five points in the WRC standings with three rounds remaining. He starts the next event, Rallye de France Alsace, on a high following a recent run of strong results.

The 24-year-old impressed on his way to fourth overall on Wales Rally GB earlier this month in his privateer Ford Fiesta RS WRC and backed up that effort by finishing second to factory Citroen ace Mikko Hirvonen on Rallye Vosgien, a national event in France last weekend.

“We were pushing on all the stages and set some really good times so I am very pleased with that,” said Ostberg following Rally GB, which he described as one of his best performances. “I am very pleased to have been able to fight with Petter and Sebastien [Loeb] - at least in the beginning - and to take seconds from Mikko all the way through the event was great. I am [also] really pleased and happy to see that we can push more without mistakes. In previous events I thought I was safe, but maybe I was too safe and could have pushed even harder and still have been okay. We are learning a bit about that now and I think that we have more speed to come.”