In addition to the title win in DTM, Audi driver Mattias Ekström is pursuing another aim this year. The Swede would like to become champion in the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) with his private rallycross team EKS. “My focus this year is clearly on the DTM title with Audi, but I’m very happy that I’m additionally able to compete in World RX as a driver and as the team boss,” says Ekström. The 36-year-old will personally be taking the wheel of an Audi S1 EKS RX quattro in selected races. The second EKS rallycross supercar is driven by Ekström’s compatriot Anton Marklund, who is on the grid of the new Audi Sport TT Cup as well.
The DTM season will start with an additional highlight in 2015. The season opener at Hockenheim (April 30 to May 3) will include a round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) in which Mattias Ekström caused a sensation last year with his privately fielded Audi S1 EKS RX quattro – including a victory in the World RX round in Sweden. Hockenheim will also be seeing the inaugural event of the Audi Sport TT Cup. Therefore, Audi fans have three good reasons to travel to the DTM opener this time. Tickets are available online at www.audi-motorsport.com.
The Audi driver about the DTM festival at Hockenheim and the planned joint appearance of the DTM and FIA Rallycross World Championship (World RX). You’re a DTM driver and owner of a private rallycross team. How do you view the joint appearance of DTM and World RX at Hockenheim? It’s fantastic that this is coming off. The ITR and the IMG have been working on this for a long time behind the scenes. As a rallycross team boss, I’m delighted about the RX supercars being allowed to race in front of such a great crowd at the Hockenheim Motodrom. As a DTM driver, I’m delighted about the DTM opener becoming even more interesting as a whole and that additional fans will be traveling to Hockenheim. It’s a win-win situation for both – the DTM and the World RX. But the fans are the true winners. What can the spectators look forward to on the first weekend in May? To two of the best racing series that currently exist in the world, with fascinating race cars such as the Red Bull AudiRS 5DTM and our Audi S1 EKS RX quattro – currently the only Audi in motorsport with conventional quattro drive. In addition, there’ll be the inaugural event of the new Audi Sport TT Cup. It’ll be a unique opportunity to experience all this on a single weekend not to be missed by any fan. I’m sure that the best tickets for the DTM festival will quickly be sold. The DTM had a long winter break. Now the action will soon be starting again, with testing scheduled at Portimão (Portugal) for the beginning of March. Are you looking forward to sitting in the DTM cockpit again? As long as there’s still snow on the ground here I’m still finding a bit difficult to think about a DTM race. But the upcoming track tests are sending a clear signal that we’ll be starting again soon. And that’s good. The new DTM season with its new format and the additional races promises plenty of suspense. You’ll be competing in car #5 in the DTM this year – that’s the number you clinched your first title with in 2004. A good omen?
The two-time DTM Champions Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider, as well as the Le Mans winners Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, were guests at the traditional Audi Night at the hotel ‘Zur Tenne’ in Kitzbühel on Friday night. Before the British-Lebanese pop star Mika enthralled the audience at the social opening event of the 75th Hahnenkamm Weekend, Ekström and skiing star Felix Neureuther recalled the events of the new Audi quattro challenge in front of an audience of some 370 guests. The day before, the slalom star had taken the wheel of Ekström’s Audi S1 EKS RX. With instructions provided by the Swede who had won his home round in the FIA Rallycross World Championship in the S1 EKS RX last year, Neureuther had enthusiastically drifted across icy terrain and gotten a first-hand impression of the superiority of quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
Audi stunned the guests at the Berlin International Film Festival: When the Audi fleet with the film stars drove up, two of the brand’s race cars led the parade. Le Mans winner André Lotterer drove through the German capital in the Audi R18 e-tronquattro LMP race car and Mike Rockenfeller – the 2013 DTM Champion – drove up to the door in the Audi TT cup car. The two Audi drivers took their race cars all the way to the red carpet, got out wearing tuxes and attended the opening of the event. Subsequently, Daniel Brühl and company stepped on the red carpet on the way to the opening ceremony. Audi has been supporting the 65th International Film Festival as the main sponsor for the second time, receiving the guests with an exciting program at the Audi Berlinale Lounge.
Mattias Ekström thrilled numerous winter athletes with his Audi S1 EKS RX quattro at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Falun. Just one day following the world championship title win in the mixed team event of the ski jumpers, the DSV athletes Richard Freitag, Carina Vogt and Katharina Althaus sat in the passenger’s seat of the 560-hp rallycross race car. At the event of the Audi driving experience the DTM driver did a few fast laps on the snow and ice course in his native Sweden with his prominent passengers and impressed them with his driving skills.
An unusual role for Timo Scheider and Mattias Ekström: The Audi factory drivers served as instructors of the Audi driving experience for readers of Sport BILD magazine in Saalbach, Austria. With instructions provided by the two DTM champions the ‘drift’ students got a first-hand impression of the superiority of the permanent quattro all-wheel drive on icy ground in an Audi S5 Sportback.
On Saturday, Audi Neuburg received internal and external employees and their family members at a Family Day. Audi’s Management Board Member Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg and Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich welcomed some 1,500 guests. The new complex with its modern facilities opened its gates to the families for the first time. The visitors had the opportunity to view the fascinating world of Audi Sport with a line-up on display ranging from the race cars used in the WEC, DTM, GT racing and the Audi Sport TT Cup through to components such as the hybrid system of the Le Mans winning Audi R18 e-tronquattro and obtained autographs from the race drivers. In addition, Audi raffled off 30 opportunities for rides in the passenger seat with the Audi driving experience.