Mattias Ekström joins Ford Performance for Dakar 2025

Mattias Ekström will not have been without a steering wheel or a constructor for long. Last Thursday, The Swede made his departure from Audi official after 23 years of collaboration and success, particularly in GT or in rallycross. This Tuesday, the 43-year-old driver was just made official by Ford Performance to complete its crew in rally-raid, with the 2025 Dakar Rally in sight. The double champion of DTM and world rallycross champion will join Mitch Guthrie Jr, Nani Roma and Carlos Sainz to drive the Ford Raptor T1+. He will make his debut aboard the American machine at the next Rally of Morocco (October 4-11).

The Swede already has good experience of the Dakar with four participations, including three with Audi for a 9th place as best result, in 2022 (four stage victories in total). “Joining the Ford Dakar program is really exciting for me, Mattias Ekström is delighted. Ford and M-Sport have built a vehicle that looks, sounds and drives impressive and we all share the ambition of winning the Dakar."

"I have made four attempts at the Dakar so far and I can now say that I have acquired some experience that allows me to aim for the top, he adds ambitiously. There is also a wealth of knowledge and experience in the team to support this ambition, starting with Ford’s long motorsport heritage, M-Sport’s proven track record, impressive driver line-up, intelligent engineers and technicians. I am looking forward to the Ford Raptor T1+’s first competitive appearance at the Rallye du Maroc and later the Dakar Rally. I am here to win and I hope we have many more years of success ahead of us. I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”

The arrival of Mattias Ekström at the American manufacturer represents "a big step forward for the Dakar program" Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, said, while Matthew Wilson welcomed the recruitment of the Swedish driver. « We have been following Mattias’ career for a long time, from his DTM debut to World RX, and now the Dakar. He has shown fantastic speed and skill in all forms of motorsport and his performances in off-road racing have been no different., believes the manager at M-Sport. We look forward to working with him and his co-driver Emil [Bergkvist], both of whom bring a wealth of experience.”

With such a crew, now complete, Ford can legitimately claim victory in the Dakar, next January. However, the Raptor will have to show its claws in the Saudi desert with pace, but above all reliability against the indestructible Toyota Hilux and the new Dacia Sandrider.

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