World Champion

Mattias Ekström and his EKS privateer team have taken the 2016 World Rallycross Championship, collecting their coveted trophies at the FIA prize giving in Vienna. After a blistering season that saw Ekström and his teammate, Toomas Heikkinen, win 44 of their 131 races, the season has been decided with a decisive victory to Ekström and his EKS team.

From the opening round in Portugal to the final round in trying conditions in Argentina, Ekström and   Heikkinen dominated the series, with Ekström actually clinching the title in the penultimate round in Estering in Buxtehude.

His performance throughout the season was nothing short of extraordinary, particularly given that he shared his time between the the extreme Rallycross season and his other duties as an Audi factory driver in the DTM series as well.

The result is a dream come true for the 38-year-old Swede, who started the privateer EKS team three years ago and has work hard to reach this long held goal.

“Ever since I’ve been a racing driver it was my greatest dream to be at this ceremony and to appear on stage alongside other World Champions like Sébastien Ogier and Nico Rosberg,” he said.

In the Hofburg, that dream came true as he accepted his trophies in front of 800 invited guests. 

“I have been following this gala for many, many years as a spectator from afar. Standing on the stage now and being honoured twice as a world champion is fantastic,” Ekström said. 

In the season finale in Argentina, EKS finished a season that the team from Sweden had dominated since day one. The team headed the overall standings from the season opener in Portugal and were never headed on the way to winning the title 225 days later.

“I’m lost for words – and this is a rare occurrence,” Ekström joked at the end of a dramatic weekend in Argentina. “This title means a huge amount to the team and me. It shows that we all did an excellent job, and not just this year. When we started EKS three years ago, there was nothing at all. Now we are driver and team World Champions and I’ll remember a great many moments forever.”