FIA World Rallycross Championship 2018, Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona
Audi S1 EKS RX quattro #13 (EKS Audi Sport), Andreas Bakkerud Audi S1 EKS RX quattro #5 (EKS Audi Sport), Mattias Ekström

In the season opener of the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, the two Audi campaigners, Mattias Ekström and Andreas Bakkerud, after a strong first day, are ranked in positions two and four of the overall standings. In pouring rain and muddy track conditions, Ekström and Bakkerud won their qualifying sessions in the 580-hp Audi S1 EKS RX quattro (580 hp). However, in Q2, both drivers from EKS Audi Sport initially lost a lot of time behind VW driver Johan Kristoffersson whose teammate, Petter Solberg, crossed the finish line in first position. “The start in Q2 went badly, but on the whole we saw that we’re competitive in rain,” says Ekström. “I just tried to survive in these conditions,” says Bakkerud and adds: “But tomorrow it’s supposed to be dry. I feel confident that we’ve got the right pace.”