Ostberg bags Citroen seat for Portugal and Italy rounds

Mads Ostberg will return to World Rally Championship action at the Portugal and Italy rounds for Citroen this season after impressing during his one-off outing at Rally Sweden earlier this year.

The former WRC rally winner has found himself without a full-time spot since leaving M-Sport at the end of 2016 but has been in action for Citroen in recent months with the aim of returning to the championship.

Ostberg, who competed for Citroen Total Abu Dhabi in 2014 and 2015 in WRC, enjoyed a one-off return with the French manufacturer at Rally Sweden earlier this year where he claimed a solid sixth place finish. Having impressed for Citroen, the Norwegian driver will return to action at Rally de Portugal and Rally Italia Sardegna, both all-gravel events, next month.

Ostberg is expected to fill the third Citroen C3 WRC car for the two rounds as he did for Rally Sweden, competing alongside Kris Meeke and Craig Breen in the French manufacturer’s three-car attack.

“It feels good to be back in the car and back with the team again after a long break since Rally Sweden,” Ostberg said. “I’ll do anything to prove that I’m worth keeping in the car after these two rallies and hopefully I’ll get back in the car later on in the season.”

Ostberg has strong form at both the Portuguese and Italian events for Citroën in the past, claiming third and second place results respectively four years ago in a DS 3 WRC.