Emblematic figure of the CrossCar category in the RallyX championship, Jimmie Österberg didn’t have the success he had hoped for this year, finishing ninth overall.
After five consecutive seasons in the top 5 of the CrossCar Senior category (including four seasons on the final podium between 2018 and 2021), Jimmie Österberg was forced to take a small step back.
Associated with Belgian manufacturer LifeLive and Estonian team Pace Motorsport since 2023, the Swedish driver has had to be patient, despite two podium finishes and a final stretch of the championship rewarded by three qualifications for a final out of the last four races of the championship.
“Inevitably, it hasn’t been the easiest of seasons, but I expected this kind of scenario,” explains Jimmie.
“Not only did I have to get used to the new car, but I also had to get to know my new Pace Motorsport team. This is especially true as we weren’t fortunate enough to test as much as we would have liked before the start of the 2023 season.”
With three career victories and a total of 11 podiums, the ninth place finish is obviously not representative of the Arvika driver’s true level of form.
“Inevitably, it hasn’t always been an easy situation for me, who has always been used to competing at the top in this category, but as I said, it’s a context I was prepared for. Nevertheless, we were always able to show great efficiency in terms of pure speed, while my two podium finishes in 2023 lead me to believe that we weren’t too far off the mark.”
Although the LifeLive TN5 chassis used by the Pace Motorsport team was a complete new experience for Jimmie Österberg, he makes no secret of his satisfaction at having joined forces with the Estonian outfit.
“There is no doubt that joining Pace Motorsport was a big change for me after having developed on my own with my small team until last year. However, we quickly felt at home in this new environment. We were made to feel very welcome at Pace Motorsport and I have to admit that between their philosophy and their professionalism, I have really enjoyed working with them. What’s more, I can’t hide the fact that I’m more than enthusiastic about keeping the same approach for the 2024 season.”
Although Jimmie Österberg will not officially confirm this information, all indications are that the 2024 season will take him into a new dimension. In fact, instead of the TN5 chassis, Jimmie is expected to drive the TN11 version with which David Méat finished second in the FIA European CrossCar Championship and will once again challenge the hierarchy of the RallyX championship.
“What’s certain is that I’ll be back in 2024 with a different car and my aim will be to fight for the title again. We know that we’ll have the right weapons. The new chassis is very competitive and the first tests we have been able to carry out have confirmed this. I’ve adapted very quickly to its specific characteristics and I’m convinced that we’ll have an even more effective tool in our hands as we try to regain the top places in the RallyX championship”.
