WRC – Mads Østberg: “We have the speed”

At the start of the season, Mads Østberg was clearly the leader of the M-Sport Qatar World Rally Team. But the Norwegian is somewhat disappointing. Sometimes unlucky, but also too often found wanting, he struggles to confirm his status. After the first eight rounds, he is only in seventh place in the general classification,…26 points behind his team company Thierry Neuville, tied for second in the championship. Unlikely until recently.

At the beginning of the month, in Finland, he engaged in a great duel with the Belgian. But author of a touch, he will have to give up second place to the latter. The Norwegian will still get on the podium, a happiness he has not experienced since his third place in the Rally from Sweden, in February. It is therefore with increased motivation that he approaches the German meeting of the world rally championship, which is being held this weekend.

“We have really progressed on asphalt, He says. We reached a great milestone last year. We changed our driving style slightly, and I think that can really help us. Germany is a complicated event. It is important to be able to change pace quickly. The tarmac is continually changing, from vineyards to forests to open roads. You have to adapt to it. Our confidence is high after Finland, and we know we have the speed and the car to achieve big results. We did some very good testing. I am delighted with the settings found, and I am therefore looking forward to getting back on the asphalt. »

Getting on the podium, however, promises to be complicated. In particular, it will be necessary to come, among others, from three formidable pilots on this surface, namely Sébastien Ogier (Polo R WRC), Dani sordo (Citroën DS3 WRC) and of course Thierry Neuville.

Find in your AUTOhebdo magazine n°1923, available now in digital version and from tomorrow on newsstands, the presentation of the Rally of Germany. Without forgetting an exclusive report on the tests carried out by Hyundai, whose return to the discipline is scheduled for next year.