Audi’s DTM Champion in championship stress
- One appointment follows the next for Mattias Ekström
- Audi factory driver more popular than ever
- Official title presentation by the DMSB
Mattias Ekström won the DTM title on 14 October at Hockenheim. The Swede from the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline squad has hardly seen his apartment on the shores of Lake Constance since then. “One appointment follows the next,” explains the Audi factory driver. “It’s only from the 18 December onwards that I finally have a few days to myself.”
November was and is especially tough for the new DTM Champion. Almost every day is planned. Whether it is a visit to the TV show “Wetten dass..?”, appearances on radio shows, or excursions to popular events such as the MTV Music Awards, “GQ Men of the year” or the “Goldenen Lenkrad” – the 29-year old Swede, whose rivals include Michael Schumacher at the “Race of Champions” in London’s new Wembley Stadium on 16 December, is more popular than ever.
“The hustle and bustle around Mattias shows just how great the interest is in the DTM,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “And Mattias knows that such appointments are a part of his job. He proves to be absolute professional also in this field.”
However, the PR appointments are by no means whatsoever tiresome obligations for the Swede. “There are a great many highlights thrown in which really are a lot of fun,” says the Audi driver. “Last week for example, I cooked for friends, colleagues and journalists at the Da Capo restaurant in Stuttgart – it was very amusing. However, the most interesting event was ‘Talk of the Town’ in Munich with Bryan Adams. It was the first time that I’ve ever seen him live. It was great.”
For the DTM Champion and his team mate Martin Tomczyk the ‘Gala of Champions 2007’ of the Deutsche Motor Sport Bund (DMSB) was on the agenda in historical Petersberg last weekend. “Of course this event was a little bit more formal and quite, but in spite of this it was still something special,” stresses Ekström. “Because when you are awarded the trophy for winning the DTM championship it is finally clear that you have achieved something of importance this year.”
Mattias Ekström sat at the wheel of his Audi A4 DTM for the first time again in a test at Vallelunga (Italy) two days after the DMSB Gala. “As always I have the most fun in the cockpit,” says the Champion. “I can hardly wait for the new season to get started!”