Mads Østberg showed his star quality on the first competitive action of the 2016 FIA European Rally Championship by topping the Qualifying Stage at Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.
The third man through the 3.57-kilometre stage, the Norwegian posted a time of 2m00.977s in his RMC Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5 despite complaining of a boost issue.Fresh from climbing to second in the WRC standings in Mexico last weekend, Østberg will get first choice of starting position for the first leg of the 2016 ERC season.
He pipped fellow Fiesta driver Alexey Lukyanuk to the best time by just 0.189s, while reigning ERC champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz was third in a similar model, 0.733s off the quickest time. Spaniard Iván Ares impressed to make it an all-Fiesta lockout of the top four.
Robert Consani was fifth in his new Peugeot 208 T16 ahead of Škoda Fabia R5 driver Hermen Kobus and local hero Luis Monzón (Citroën DS3 R5).
The last two Polish rally champions Wojciech Chuchała (13th) and Łukasz Habaj (18th) set the pace in ERC2 and ERC3 respectively