Mattias Ekstrom "[I want] to contest the full championship"

Dakar 2026 | Stage 13 | YANBU > YANBU
January 17 ^th 2026 - 15:34 [GMT + 3]

Mattias Ekstrom finished on the rally podium for the second year in a row. The Swede is already plotting his next campaign and wishes to contest all the rounds of the 2026 W2RC series to better prepare for 2027.

"I'm pleased with the podium, but we come here to win. The first lesson is that I have to come back even better prepared because the level at the front is extremely high. I'm going home and asking my bosses to let me contest the full championship, because to fight here you need the same level of preparation as Nasser and the Dacias. This sport is becoming more like circuit racing, it comes down to the smallest details. A few years ago, there were three drivers capable of winning. I don't think that is still the case. There are more drivers and more cars that can do it now, the competition is tougher. It's all about preparation, you can't rest on your laurels, and I'm going to start working on it from tomorrow."