Mads Østberg was the last Citroen driver to claim a podium in Sweden (2014) – until last Sunday. Then Craig Breen celebrated a wonderful second place while the Norwegian finished sixth. But Mads was still content with his return to the team after having just 1-day test with the C3 WRC.
Østberg had his sights set on a top-three finish in the early stages of the rally as he ended Friday’s leg just 1.1 seconds behind third place, showing that he was getting to grips quickly with the car. Still learning about his new machine, he then managed his pace to secure sixth place, scoring important points for the team in the manufacturers’ championship.
“I’m delighted with my return to the team”, Østberg commented. “I wasn’t expecting to be able to fight for such a good position with the limited amount of miles we covered in testing. But I hope that the team is pleased with what we have done with this first experience together. I know that with more time in the car, I can be even more competitive with the C3 WRC. In any case, I would love to drive it again soon!”
The consolation prize for Østberg from Sweden was that he still had the biggest jump on Colin’s crest
He flew over 42 metres and took the organizers’ special trophy for a second consecutive year.
?@MadsOstberg flew his @CitroenRacing C3 to a second consecutive Colin’s Crest Award at Rally Sweden yesterday with a jump of 42 m. Awesome ???#WRC #RallySweden pic.twitter.com/AQo3JFZ4OL
— Michelin Motorsport (@Michelin_Sport) February 18, 2018
Join Østberg Airlines @RallySweden @ColinsCrest_ in the @CitroenRacing #C3WRC #WRCjumpking 1st pass 42m ✈ 2nd pass 41 ✈ ? pic.twitter.com/8J7OislieW
— Mads Østberg (@MadsOstberg) February 17, 2018
Meanwhile, Kris Meeke’s target for the weekend was equally to add a few points to his drivers’ championship tally. After having acted as a snowplough on day one (fourth in the running order), he found himself way off the fight at the front. However, the Ulsterman was out of luck again. A seemingly innocuous impact with a snow bank ended up damaging his C3 WRC’s turbo, forcing him to retire, a stiff penalty for such a minor mistake.
“It was a difficult rally for us. With our less than ideal position in the running order on Friday, I had trouble finding any confidence, which meant that we ended up being one of the first on the road on Saturday. I was nonetheless working hard to secure the point for tenth place when we nosed into a snow bank at low speed and damaged the turbo. It was really unlucky. I’m determined to bounce back, starting in Mexico. Out of the next four rallies, I have already won three of them and I was leading in Corsica last year as well”, Meeke said.
