Motorsport great

After a hugely successful 23 years with the brand, Mattias Ekström is putting away his Audi Sport race suit. Over the past two decades, the irrepressible Swede has proved himself to be one of the most versatile racing drivers to grace the world stage, turning his hand to different forms of motorsport with equal ease and success.

“We owe Mattias an immense amount, and in turn we have helped him to the greatest successes of his career,” said Rolf Michl, Managing Director of Audi Sport.

“To this day, I am impressed not only by his continuous performance but also by his excellent team spirit. Mattias has never concentrated solely on racing. He has always helped to drive projects forward, support our developers and promote the teams he has worked with.”

Most recently that pioneering spirit has been seen in Ekström’s work with the Audi Sport assault on Dakar, which saw the team take on the world’s most gruelling off-road rally raid with hybrid electric drive and take outright victory in just three short years.

For his own part, Ekström with co-driver and fellow countryman Emil Bergkvist, won four stage victories during the Dakar project but also invested countless hours behind the scenes to helping develop Audi’s RSQ e-tron race car, bringing not only his wealth of natural driving talent but tremendous motorsport experience to the project.

Ekström’s journey with Audi began with success from the very outset that would mark the entire 23 year period with the brand. His first series title for Audi came before he was even a factory driver, securing the Swedish Touring Car Championship for Kristofferson Motorsport at the tender age of just 21, driving an Audi A4 quattro. This victory brought him to the attention of Audi Sport and he became a fully fledged factory driver just two years later, stepping up the ultra-competitive DTM (German Touring Car Masters) which would see him stamp his authority on top shelf competition over nearly two decades.

During that time in DTM  Ekström scored no less than 20 pole positions and 23 race wins to notch up two DTM titles, as well as finishing runner up in a further four seasons. But his ability to adapt to completely different forms of racing saw his star rise even further, securing the then fledgling Audi Sport customer racing program its first 24-victory in the R8 LMS GT3 in Belgium at the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

But while his mastery at circuit racing in vastly different cars became a focal point, given his Swedish upbringing, it was only a matter of time before Ekström’s supernatural car control on slippery surfaces would come to the fore. 

Racing the giant-killing Audi S1 EKS RX, Ekström also cemented his place at the top of the World Rallycross ranks, taking the world championship in 2016 and a further three runner-up finishes in the high-flying sport. His extraordinary talent has also seen him make multiple Race of Champions appearances – an invitation-only event for the world’s greatest drivers each year from all forms of top level motorsport – a title he has won on four occasions as well as winning the teams event, the Nations Cup of the Race of Champions.

Offroad, in addition to his aforementioned successes at Dakar, he was runner-up in the Extreme E off-road racing series in 2023 and reprised his touring car background but with an electric twist to win the Pure ETCR (eTouring Car World Cup) driving for sister brand Cupra. He has won countless awards and accolades, driven up ski slopes and even tutored the late great Ken Block – with whom he became great friends – on the finer points of driving a hybrid-electric Dakar racer on ice.

While the titles and successes speak for themselves, perhaps more importantly Ekström has earned the admiration of the world’s finest drivers, not only adored by motorsport fans the world over but hugely respected by his peers and considered one of the greats.

For Ekström, the past 23 years have been something of a blur – literally as well as figuratively.

“Driving for Audi Sport was like a childhood dream coming true,” he says. “Looking back on more than two decades with the four rings brings back many memories. I had the chance to fulfill my dreams as a kid, like racing in the DTM, winning races and titles, and developing race cars. Winning the DTM title in 2004 is something I will cherish forever. But it was more than just motorsport. I had the chance to meet so many interesting and talented people and attended many great events. Being involved with the same company for so long is quite rare in motorsport, and I am very grateful for this period of my life. I can only say thank you to everyone at Audi.”

But such natural talent and drive is not something that is simply ‘switched off’ and at just 46 years of age, Ekström will not stray far from motorsport in the future.