Østberg seeks greater commitment

Mads Østberg is hoping to remain at the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi Team in 2016 but is after greater investment from the manufacturer in the form of a multi-year deal.

The Norwegian has been at Citroën since 2014 but always on annual contracts. Now, as Citroën Racing boss Yves Matton begins a three-event evaluation of his drivers before deciding next year’s line-up, Østberg is out to show he deserves more.

"This is my second year where I have a one-year contract and I want a bit more commitment than that," Østberg told wrc.com.

"We will see, but up to now I’ve always done things one year at a time. It’s been like this since I started. I don’t like it, but that’s how it is. Like always I have something to prove and I will try to do that."

Østberg acknowledged that Neste Oil Rally Finland - the first of Matton’s three assessment rallies - had gone well, and was a big improvement over the previous round in Poland.

"We ended third in Finland and that’s something good. The difference was that I tested beforehand and I was prepared. When you go to compete on the top level and you don’t prepare you feel rubbish. And in Poland I felt rubbish. This time I was prepared and that’s the way it is. It’s as simple as that."

Østberg has been tasked with setting his own goal and event strategy for the upcoming ADAC Rallye Deutschland and he will do this after a pre-event test.

"It’s a long time since I’ve been on tarmac," he said. "I wanted to do a tarmac rally before Germany but it didn’t happen, so it’s difficult to say what my goal is now. I will do my test, see how the feeling is and then set my target."