Mads Østberg is only 0.5 seconds behind Spanish Dani Sordo who is holding 6th place, after the first day of the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB.

Stobart driver Mads Østberg was fastest on shakedown yesterday, and today he started in the 13th round of the WRC with his Ford Focus RS WRC. Today's three stages were all new, and it was only 26.13 kilometres with speed.
- We have done three okay stages, but the time is not there yet. The power doesn't feel correct, and I don’t know why so we need to figure it out at the remote service tonight, said Mads Østberg.

The first stage "Great Orme" was just 4.74 km long and was ran twice on asphalt. Stage 3 used the gravel roads of Clocaenog Forest which were last used in Wales Rally GB in 1996.  ?
- SS 3 was really slippery and muddy, and it was also today's longest stage. It was in the way it tends to be in Wales, so there were no major surprises, said Østberg.

Tomorrow morning the crew moves south in the direction of the service park in Builth Wells, and eight new stages are waiting.
- I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stages, which are really nice. I hope the car will be better, because the way it is now - it is really difficult to fight for top positions, said Mads Østberg.