Ekström: “A very difficult race”

Audi semi-officially enters four R8 LMS at the 24 Hours of Spa, Blancpain's flagship race Endurance Series. The brand with the rings has given itself the means to win, in particular by calling on its drivers from DTM. Thus, the No. 33 entered by Vincent Vosse's WRT team will see the Belgian Greg Franchi and two double DTM champions take turns at the wheel: the Swede Mattias Ekström and the German Timo Scheider. If the latter has already won the 2005 edition of the Belgian double clock, Mattias Ekström will, at 33, discover the Ardennes classic.

?I?m really looking forward to being in Spa, He says. The last time I raced on this circuit was in the DTM (in 2005, he finished 2nd, editor's note). At that time I was fighting against Mika Häkkinen. There, it will be with another car, the R8 LMS, and another team (WRT, editor's note) about which I have only heard good things. And there is another small difference, it is a 24 Hour event and not a sprint. It will be a very difficult race with many tough opponents. I know there are many good GT drivers. But I am confident and looking forward to accomplishing this task. It would be great to be able to complete the 24 Hours without encountering any problems. »

However, this is not the first time that Mattias Ekström is preparing to take part in a double round of the clock. The current 7th in the DTM general classification already has a participation in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, an event in which he finished 3rd last June.