The Norwegian has already competed in 300 rallies over the course of his career, but now the time has come to take things a little easier. Østberg is not leaving the sport entirely, but he no longer intends to continue as a full-time rally driver.
“I’m still going to drive rallies, there’s no doubt about that. But what exactly I’m going to do, I don’t yet know – and I haven’t even wanted to decide at this stage. I want to take some time to think about my options,” Østberg revealed to the Norwegian site Parc ferme.
“But I think it would take quite a lot to get me back into any full championship,” he added.
The 37-year-old has considered slowing down several times before, but there’s always been a small spark that has drawn him back.
“It actually feels quite good. I’ve been ready for this for a while, but every year the last rally I’ve done has gone so well that my enthusiasm has flared up again, and I’ve ended up going for another season. But now it feels like I’m ready to take things a bit more calmly,” he said.
Østberg is a family man. Combining full-time rallying with family life isn’t always easy.
“It has a lot to do with how long my career has been and what my motivation is to continue. When the motivation to travel 150 days a year and do all the work required to compete at the top level is no longer at its peak, it starts to feel wrong. At that point, I’d rather put my energy into my family at home,” he said.
However, Østberg will definitely still be seen around rallying. In addition to competing in individual rallies, he has some other exciting plans for the future.
“Mainly, it’s about individual events abroad, as that’s where the biggest opportunities are. It looks like I’ll be involved to some extent in the Lancia project and in developing that car, which could open up opportunities to showcase the car in a few rallies,” he revealed.
“In addition, I’ve received several invitations to rallies that I previously haven’t been able to take part in. It would be great to accept some of those – not for European or World Championship points, but for the adventure that a rally can offer at its best,” he continued.
The car manufacturer Lancia has already confirmed its return to the World Rally Championship. Lancia has stated that it is currently developing a Rally2 car. Østberg would certainly like to be part of that project.
“I think it looks like a really interesting venture,” Østberg said.
“I believe this is just the beginning of something that could grow much bigger in the future. It would be great to be involved behind the scenes in the development work – that would be a role I’d really enjoy,” he added.
