The double champion of DTM leaves the discipline to focus absolutely on the World Rallycross.
The 39-year-old Swedish driver Mattias Ekström has taken what he considers “the most difficult decision of his professional life”. He will leave from this same German touring championship, the DTM. With this decision, the Swedish driver closes a stage of 17 seasons in the world in which he has achieved 2 championships. He made his debut in the DTM in 2001 with the ABT Sportsline Junior team, with whom he already demonstrated his skills at the wheel by reaching his first podiums. In 2002 he won his first races and it was finally in 2004 when he got his first championship, repeating in 2007.
His record could be even higher as Ekström also has four second places in the championship. Considered one of the legends of the German competition, Mattias leaves to focus on the World Rallycross, where he runs with the team that he has created, the EKS RX, affiliated with the Audi brand. The brand of the four rings has accompanied him throughout his career in the DTM. Precisely with the Audi S1 was proclaimed champion of the World Rallycross in 2016.
Audi Sport has not wasted any time in looking for a substitute and they have placed their trust in Robin Frijns, driver of the GT brand. Robin, who comes from winning the Blancpain GT Series in 2015 and the Sprint Cup with Stuart Leonard in 2017, will share team with René Rast, Nico Müller, Jamie Green, Loïc Duval and Mike Rockenfeller.
From the own brand they have full confidence in what Frijns can demonstrate: “Frijns is a driver who has won in all the competitions where he has been. The expectations are very high. I think he has a long future in the DTM. “
The Ekström era ends and a new stage begins for Audi in the DTM, with the services of another very talented driver, Robin Frijns.
