Even after a frustrating season in DTM, Mattias Ekström was able to throw off his underdog status yet again as he won the Race of Champions for the third time in China yesterday.
"This is a very special day for me," said the 31-year-old after his triumph in the Birds Nest Stadium. "I was not particularly fortunate this year in the DTM. To end the season with a victory against Michael Schumacher is fantastic.
“I always pretend to be thinking about whether to come to the Race of Champions or not but actually I never have to think about it,” said the Swede who has always risen to the occasion, even when surrounded by legends from other Formulas.
“I look across at Michael on the start line and I thought 'why should I beat him? His driving his spotless'. But driving against Michael is always a pleasure and if you can find a 10th of a second here and there, it isn't a lot but sometimes it is enough.”
In a chilly Beijing, it was enough. Ekström repeated his 2007 win over the seven-times world champion – as well as new F1 champion Jenson Button – to bring his haul of titles from the end-of-season get-together to four, including one Cup of Nations victory with Tom Kristensen.
But while he may have finished the DTM season, he may have wrapped up his latest Race of Champions crown but the motor racing season is still not over as Ekström is off to Norway for an all-Scandinavian festival of speed on November 21.
The Swede has been invited along with Tommi Mäkinen, Gigi Galli and fellow ROC star Mikko Hirvonen to the Solberg Extreme Motor Show in the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway.
The brainchild of rally drivers Petter and Henning, uniquely, the drivers have to bring their racing wheels with them to the celebration of all varieties of motor racing, including rallying, drifting, tin tops and even Top Fuel drag racing.
“One thing is for sure it will be a great show. I know Petter and Henning are really good people for showbusiness,” said Ekström. “It’s mainly for Scandinavian people because we have so many drivers.
ROC
“Oslo is not so far for Swedish fans to come so I’ll have to do my part to represent the Swedish flag but I don’t think there’s anyone there from Denmark. Personally I’d be really happy if Tom was there to defend the Danish flag.”
Keep up with Mattias wherever he’s in action.
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