RACC Rally de Espana has offered some challenging stages on both gravel and asphalt for Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson. Today, they finished sixth in overall classification, and are pleased with the weekend's performance.

After three days of driving, Mads Østberg with his Ford Fiesta RS WRC completed the RACC Rally de Espana in sixth position. He has covered 18 special stages with a totaling of 406, 52 kilometers, and the Stobart driver is satisfied with the weekend's efforts.

- The tarmac section has been very enjoyable. Overall I'm very happy with the performance and my driving on tarmac. It has been really fun to drive this weekend, but it was a difficult opening day on gravel, said Mads Østberg.

RACC Rally de Espana was based in Salou, one hour south of Barcelona, and the rally is the only World Rally Championship event this year with mixed surface, both gravel and tarmac.

On Friday the surface was mainly on gravel, and the opening day was affected by difficult conditions, the dust, and the lack of wind. Friday night, both driver and co-driver was challenged when they entered a technically demanding night-stage. Even with four minutes gap, the cars left a lot of dust, and it was difficult to see the road.

On Saturday morning it was time for the second part of Rally Spain, and the rally cars were switched in to tarmac setup Friday night. The second longest stage of the season, El Priorat at 45,97 km long, was also ran twice.

Even with brake problems on the first loop before the service on both Saturday and Sunday, Østberg is very happy with the weekend. On the second last stage he was third quickest through, finishing in the same time as Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen.

- Yesterday it was the brake pedal, today I destroyed my brakes quite early by overheating them on the first stage. We had to bleed the brakes after that stage, and then we got the right flow. The two last stages have been really good, and we've set some good times today, said the 24-year-old Mads Østberg.

12 of 13 WRC events are completed, and the final round of the WRC is Rally Wales in the middle of November. Next weekend, Mads Østberg will enter another motor show, Oslo Motor Show.

Top 10 Rally Spain:
1. S. LOEB 0.0
2. M. HIRVONEN +2:06.9
3. J. LATVALA +2:32.4
4. D. SORDO +3:24.1
5. K. MEEKE +5:15.0
6. M. ØSTBERG +5:54.2
7. E. NOVIKOV +9:31.8 ?
8. H. SOLBERG+9:40.1 ?
9. D. KUIPERS +11:13.8 ?
10. J. HÄNNINENS +13:49.2