DTM – Bruno Spengler: A fantastic fight with Ekström in 2007

2017 therefore marked the last season of Mattias Ekström in DTM. The Audi Sport driver, double champion in 2004 and 2007, will now focus solely on the World Championship. Rallycross, after doubling the programs in recent years.

The end of the touring career of the 2016 World RX world champion sparked many reactions among the DTM paddock, including that of Bruno spengler. The current BMW Motorsport driver, then fielded by Mercedes in 2007, faced Mattias Ekström for the title.

Each of the two drivers had only won one race throughout the season, the Swede finally winning by three small points at the end of the season. A very close fight that Spengler remembers with nostalgia, who highlights the qualities of his now former rival.

“It was a fantastic fight all season long, recalls the Canadian. I think we will all miss Mattias. Fighting with him on the track was really fun. We always knew how far we could go.

Fighting with him has never been easy but it has always been extremely fair. I'm going to miss these fights. He has an extremely strong personality. The conversations with him were very interesting, even when our points of view differed. He had a very positive opinion about the DTM, among other things because of his great experience. »

Mattias Ekström will be replaced in the seat of the Audi RS 5 by the Dutchman Robin Frijns, notably past the Formula E and the Blancpain GT Series in recent seasons.