Mattias Ekström (Audi S1 EKS RX quattro)
2016 FIA World RX Rallycross Championship, Buxtehude, Germany

In their World RX title defense project, Mattias Ekström and his EKS team again have to tackle fierce competition. 18 permanent entrants in total will be racing in the World RX history’s fourth season. For the first time, EKS will be represented with three 560-HP Audi S1 EKS RX quattro cars. In addition to the reigning drivers’ world champion Ekström (S), Toomas Heikkinen (FIN) and new signing Reinis Nitišs (LV) are part of the team that receives factory support from AUDI AG starting this season. “The competition is strong,” says Ekström. “The factory teams from Peugeot and Ford have no doubt done their homework and the newly formed VW team with Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson will be trying to make life difficult for us too. But we’re well set and are going to leave no stone unturned to win both World RX titles again.” A total of twelve rounds are on the calendar this year. The season will open at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya not far from the Spanish metropolis on April 1 and 2. The entire 2017 list of permanent entrants can be found here.