Ostberg ready for one-off European outing

Mads Ostberg’s forthcoming European Rally Championship debut was set over a cup of coffee in a hotel in the Canary Islands.

The Norwegian told Motorsport News he tweeted a picture while on holiday last October and, before he flew home, had pretty much concluded a deal to tackle the Spanish island’s ERC counter.

Ostberg said: “I was staying in the Anfi Del Mar resort hotel in Gran Canaria, when this guy David Sanchez got in touch with me and said he would like me to do the event. We met for a cup of coffee and agreed to do something. Honestly, I really don’t know anything about the rally – just that I come straight from Mexico to Las Palmas.”

Ostberg’s entry in a Ford Fiesta R5 has helped add some much-needed spice to the Canary Islands Rally (March 11-13), which, following Rally Liepaja’s postponement to September, is now the ERC season opener.

More immediately, Ostberg is focused on this week’s Rally Mexico, where he admits victory will be a long shot.

“We were second in Mexico last year,” he said, “so I know we can be quick and it’s an event I really enjoy. But we are third on the road this week and that will make it very difficult with the running order.”

Ostberg completed his Mexico set-up test in Spain late last month. ● Ostberg’s M-sport World Rally Team team-mate Eric Camilli has replaced Nicolas Klinger with his former co-driver Benjamin Veillas for the rest of the year.