“This year, we will try to have two good weeks”
CREW FACTS
M.E.
- A native of Sweden, Mattias Ekstrom has forged his passion for motorsports with all manner of vehicles, taking advantage of his country's wide open spaces. This virtuoso all-rounder has excelled in various disciplines: two DTM titles, a Rallycross World Championship, three Race of Champions victories and his first Pure ETCR series title.
- An Audi man through and through, the Swede has spent his entire career with the legendary German marque. Before sitting in the seat of the RS Q e-tron in rally-raid, the 43-year-old had a taste of the Dakar in 2021 when he entered a Yamaha T3. While he didn't manage to finish the race, the experience helped him appreciate the difficulties involved.
- On Audi's Dakar debut a year later, the Swede turned in the team's best performance with a top-10 finish (9th). Two more successful adventures followed. He is the only Audi driver to have completed all of their Dakar rallies, with two stage victories along the way.
- Determinedly, He admits that doing and winning the Dakar is his most significant career challenge. Undoubtedly, that's why he's continuing with Ford M-Sport. With little seat time in the new Raptor, the task will be much more complicated for the Swede, who will have his regular co-driver Emil Bergkvist to his right.
E.B.
- Emil Bergkvist is a former rally driver and was among the most promising when he won the 2015 European Junior Championship and the World Junior Championship three years later. However, he discovered the Dakar in 2021 in the right-hand seat in a Yamaha SSV driven by his compatriot Mattias Ekstrom.
- The 30-year-old Swede then went on to win his first stage, again with Ekstrom, a year later in an Audi hybrid.
- After three Dakars in an Audi, the co-driver, who has adapted perfectly to the rigours of rally-raid, embarks on the Ford adventure, even if the start was painful. On the last stage of the Rally of Morocco, the crew had an accident, and Emil had to be taken to hospital, fortunately with no serious consequences. He feels ready to take on his 5th Dakar.
AMBITIONS 2025
M.E.: “It's an exciting time. I enjoyed a few weeks of peace and quiet after the last Dakar, with some family life with my son, fishing, playing tennis and doing a bit of training. More recently, we did a lot of testing with Ford, then the Rally of Morocco, and a final shakedown before the Dakar. We're ready to go. The car is very enjoyable to drive and manoeuvre. And having a V8 engine brings back fond memories. During all my years in the DTM, I had a V8, so I'm used to it.
As always, I'm going to the Dakar with the hope of winning stages and the event. The competition is, without a doubt, the toughest we've ever had. So, you have to come to the rally with a great deal of humility. We've learned a lot from the last few editions. Last January, we had an excellent first week. The year before, it was a good second week. This year, we will try to have two good weeks. We're going there feeling well prepared, with an excellent team and good team-mates. I'm looking forward to it.”
E.B.: “I'm very excited about the future and what it has in store for us! A new era of life has begun, and it will be called Ford. Everything was going well at the start of the Rally of Morocco, and it was great to be back in the thick of things. Unfortunately, in the last stage, we hit a hole due to the lack of visibility in the dust. After the impact, I was taken to hospital but was quickly discharged. I was in pain for a long time, but fortunately, Mattias and I are fine.
I had a few more medical exams when I got home. And then a long period of rest. I'm ready for the 2025 Dakar with Mattias, Ford and the M-Sport team. Go hard or go home!”
