Ostberg, Prokop to form WRC team with 2017-spec Fords

By: David Gruz,

Motorsport.com

WRC regulars Mads Ostberg and Martin Prokop will run the majority of the 2017 season, forming a team of two M-Sport Ford Fiesta cars from Rally Sweden onwards.Ostberg, who was seventh in the standings with M-Sport last year, lost his seat within the team as it signed Sebastien Ogier and Ott Tanak.The Norwegian will therefore revert to driving for his family-run Adapta team, which he competed for between 2007 and 2010 as well as in 2012.

Ostberg will miss Rally Monte Carlo, but will be present in the following round in Sweden. He then is set to take part in the rest of the season, with the exception of Rally Mexico, during which he is expected to become a father.

Morten Ostberg, father of Mads, told Motorsport.com’s sister publication Autosport: “We are very excited about the year to come. Mads will be in an M-Sport Ford in Sweden, that we can confirm.

“He has tested the 2017 Fiesta twice now, but he will test more before Sweden. We have seen in the recent years what Mads is capable of in Sweden, so it was important for us to be sure to have him in the new car.”

will team up with long-time WRC privateer Martin Prokop, who has been a regular in the Ford Fiesta WRC since 2012.

“The plan is to do what we did in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, when we were running the car with our own Adapta team under the umbrella of M-Sport,” added Ostberg Sr.

“This year it looks like we will be even more independent, working with Martin Prokop’s team from the Czech Republic.”

Despite being independents, Ostberg and Prokop will be entered by M-Sport, as 2017-spec cars are only allowed to be entered by factory teams