Mads Østberg and his co-driver Jonas Andersson are now in Argentina and ready for the sixth round of the 2011 World Rally Championship with the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team.

Rally Argentina will be held from 26 until the 29 of May, with base in Villa Carlos Paz, north of the capital Buenos Aires, close to Cordoba.

Rally Argentina is Mads Østberg's third new rally for this season. With a fifth place from Rally Sardinia just three weeks ago, he is now ready for new challenges.

- This is a step up for Mads, and the tactics are a bit different on rallies we have never attended before. Mads will drive with little safety margin in this rally, although he will also drive fast, said the team manager in the Adapta World Rally Team, Morten Østberg.

Some of the stages this year are both on gravel and asphalt, although the rally is primarily on gravel. With Saturday's challenging stage, the famous El Condor stage, the drivers will climb to an altitude of 2122 meters above sea level on this stage.

- Two of the stages have start on asphalt and will switch to gravel at the end, so I must be a bit careful with my tires as we have a gravel set-up, said Mads Østberg.
It is the first time Mads is driving his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on asphalt. He has earlier driven the Ford Fiesta S2000 on asphalt, but the WRC car will be a difference experience for Mads.

In advance of this rally, Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team co-driver of Federico Villagra, Jorge Perez Companc invited the duo Østberg/Andersson home to his private home in Argentina.

- Companc has a private car museum, and we were fortunate to be able to visit it. It was really cool and we saw the first original Ford car made by Henry Ford, said Mads enthusiastic.

Sunday's first stage is the 48.21 km long stage Ascochinga, and that will be a challenge for both driver and co-driver.

- The roads are technical, difficult and rough with a lot of rocks in the roads, and can also be sandy,  but I like them. We have never been here before and we have only driven through the stages twice, said Mads after two days of recce.

- We are happy with the pacenotes after the recce, and we feel that we are well prepared and looking forward to start the rally, said co-driver Jonas Andersson.

Mads Østberg is now in sixth place overall in the World Rally Championship after five rounds, and  only eight points behind another Norwegian - Petter Solberg.

Rally Argentina will start Thursday night with a super special in Carlos Paz, and from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, they will attend another 18 stages.

You can follow Mads Østberg during Rally Argentina on Twitter and Facebook, and on Sunday the last stage - the Power Stage will be sent live on television.