Germany Ostberg's 2011 finale?

M-Sport Stobart Ford driver Mads Ostberg has admitted that this weekend's Rallye Deutschland may be his last rally of 2011.

A lack of money has already put Ostberg out of Australia, his seat being taken by Evgney Novikov. The Norwegian has had a fairly strong season, second in Sweden (after leading for a while), fifth in Mexico, Argentina and Italy and sixth in Finland have put him in 6^th overall in the Driver's Standings. However, even with these strong results, he may be forced to call his season to a halt early.

Ostberg faces a challenge in the fact that he has not driven on tarmac in a proper WRC car for 3 years and has not driven his Fiesta RS WRC on tarmac yet, though he is due to carry out a test prior to the event.

“It's going to be difficult as it's my first time driving on asphalt in a World Rally Car since Corsica and Spain in 2008. I competed in last year's Rallye Deutschland and Rally Catalunya in a Ford Fiesta S2000 so I had some experience during those events but it's very different behind the wheel of a World Rally Car.”

Ostberg is hoping to carry over his pace from the gravel of Finland to the tarmac of Germany, though he knows it's going to be a tough rally.

“I think it's going to be a tough event but I hope to be where I was on the last day in Finland, I just need to be pushing from the start and it'd be great to challenge the 'top five' more on this rally.”