Ostberg has options to stay in the WRC

Mads Ostberg’s presence in next season’s World Rally Championship has been confirmed to Motorsport News by his father, Morten.

Ostberg Sr manages his son’s career and he says they still have two realistic options with factory 2017 cars for next year.

“We actually have three options,” Ostberg Sr said, “but we have discounted one of those already. I can’t tell you details about the offers, but what I can tell you right now is that Mads will be back in the championship again for next year.”

Ostberg admitted a full programme with all the rallies might be stretching it slightly, but he hoped Mads would start in Monte Carlo.

“Mads is working very hard on his Tarmac driving now,” said Ostberg, “and it’s working, but maybe there could be some driver changes in the team on some of those [asphalt] rallies, but he will be there on the gravel and we really hope Monte Carlo, where he has a good record.”

Ostberg admitted a return to him running a private team – most likely within M-sport and under the Adapta team name – was also a possibility.

Since returning to M-sport, Ostberg has struggled to find the form he showed last time he was in a Fiesta from 2011 to 2013.