Ekström Appointed Sporting Director for World RX

Mattias Ekström, winner of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship, has been announced as Rallycross Promotor’s new Sporting Director. Working closely with Executive Director Arne Dirks, Ekström will help develop and grow World RX as it heads into its second decade as a championship, and its second all-electric season.

Ekström’s experience in the sport is generational. He started watching his father, Bengt Ekström, compete in the European championship back in the 1980s. “Certainly it is what inspired me to follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue a career in motorsport” Ekström explained, adding “it’s a discipline I love, one that has brought me a lot of success and one that I am convinced has a very bright future.”

Ekström in action in his 2016 title-winning Audi S1. Credit: @World / Red Bull Content Pool

Speaking about his new role, Ekström said “as Sporting Director, I will represent Rallycross Promoter in all sporting matters relating to the World Championship, from the format to commercial and sponsorship affairs and in broader terms, the overall product. I’m keen to bring the benefit of my experience to really strengthen the series at this important stage in its history”.

That stage of history began last year with the introduction of the new all-electric RX1e class. The electric monsters produced some electrifying racing as the season progressed and the teams and drivers developed their vehicles. For Ekström, the future of rallycross is bright and the potential for the sport to grow is enormous: “The length of the races mean drivers can really exploit the full power and potential of these amazing cars, and if we want to get the manufacturers back in and more teams and sponsors involved – which is clearly one of the major goals – being more sustainable is the only way forward. In the future, all motorsport will be judged on how sustainable it is; the time to act is now”.

Timmy Hansen leading Johan Kristoffersson in the new all-electric cars. While many things have changed since Ekström last raced in WRX, there are some familiar faces in the paddock. Credit: @World / Red Bull Content Pool

Executive Director Dirks is delighted to have Ekström on board: “He is a very familiar face in the motorsport world and somebody whose reputation for success and forward-thinking precedes him. He knows the rallycross business inside-out and is obviously extremely well-connected and respected in the industry. His addition to the team adds another layer of credibility at an exciting time for the World Championship, as we race full speed ahead towards the second season of our new electric era”.

The 2023 World Rallycross Championship begins in Hell, Norway, on 17/18 June.