ERC
Mads about the ERC Østberg means business
Mads Østberg reckons he will be more motivated than ever when he bids to add the FIA European Rally Championship crown to his standout list of achievements in 2025.
The WRC event winner and 18-time podium finisher has announced a full ERC campaign in a Michelin-equipped Citroën C3 Rally2 run by TRT Rally Team from Hungary.
With Patrik Barth unfortunately unable to continue his co-driving career due to injury, Torstein Eriksen, who guided Østberg to the WRC2 title in 2020, will partner his fellow Norwegian.
“It's a bit of an ego thing maybe,” Østberg, 37, said. “I’ve succeeded in WRC and WRC2 and I want to have success in ERC as well. The ERC has sort of been a bit of a curse for me. Even when I’ve known the events and felt really comfortable strange things have been happening, so I sort of need to break that ice somehow. I’ve given it a few goes but it seems I need to try again. I want to focus on [the title] because it’s a good motivation to keep fighting and keep working. We’ve agreed to step up the preparation a bit and spend a bit more time in the rally car than we did last year with more events and a little bit more testing.”
I’ve succeeded in WRC and WRC2 and I want to have success in ERC as well
Østberg, who has thanked Citroën Racing and his “good set of partners” for helping to secure his ERC return, has once again highlighted the highly competitive nature of the championship as key to his decision to bid for European glory in 2025.
Mads Østberg will drive a Michelin-equipped Citroën C3 Rally2 in the ERC
© TRT Rally Team
“The ERC is best platform for us and for me,” he said. “I really like the format and how the events are run. It’s a bit more back to the roots, which I really enjoy, and the competition is very strong. There are not only two or three possible winners, but you have a lot of different drivers who can actually win events. That’s a really big challenge but that’s the nice thing about it.”
The 42nd Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad takes place in Andalusia, Spain from 3 - 6 April.
