- BORN: 14 July 1978
- NATIONALITY: Sweden
- HOME TOWN: Falun, Sweden
- INTERESTS: Family life, Tennis and Food
2016 World RX Champion and two-time DTM title winner Mattias Ekstrom grew up with rallycross and spent a large part of his youth in RX paddocks watching his dad Bengt, who competed in the European Championship.
A stalwart of the Audi fold, the Swedish driver won the 2004 and 2007 DTM touring car titles for the manufacturer before turning his attention to World RX in 2014 with the creation of his own EKS RX team.
Immediately competitive at the wheel of an Audi S1, Ekstrom would claim a win on home soil at the Sweden RX round in 2014 ahead of his first full-time campaign in 2015, one that yielded another success in his native homeland.
Four wins (Germany, Belgium, Britain, Spain) the following year would see Ekstrom sweep to the 2016 drivers’ title, with Finnish team-mate Topi Heikkinen contributing to his EKS outfit wrapping up the teams’ championship too.
Rewarded with factory backing from Audi Sport for his title defence in 2017, Ekstrom scored four more wins in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro that season en route to the runners-up spot behind Johan Kristoffersson. Having previously dovetailed his rallycross efforts with his DTM commitments – where he was a runner-up in 2017 -, Ekstrom returns with KYB Team JC for the start of the 2020 season again driving an Audi AS1.
Q&A
Who is your biggest rival on the World RX circuit?
Myself
What's been your career highlight so far?
Probably my DTM title in 2004
Who was your biggest inspiration?
Walter Rohrl
What advice would you give to young Rallycross drivers?
Drive in as many disciplines as possible
What's your favourite World RX track?
Holjes, Sweden
If you weren't a Rallycross driver what would you be?
A racing driver most likely
Who's the funniest World RX driver?
Timur definitely!
If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Potatoes
What one item would you take with you on a desert island?
Sunglasses
Which three celebrities would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
Jamie Oliver, Mark Zuckerberg and Juan Pablo Montoya. Just a great mix with special guys
Tell us a secret about you that no one knows
No way :D