Mattias Ekström could miss DTM season finale at Hockenheim

Audi Sport driver Mattias Ekström could miss the 2016 DTM season finale, to be held in Hockenheim from the 14th to the 16th of October, in order to participate in the FIA World Rallycross round to be held that same weekend in Estering, near Hamburg, in Germany.

The Team Abt Sportsline driver won the WRX event held in Barcelona this weekend, and now leads the standings, ahead of Petter Solberg. With three rounds to go, Ekström finds himself with chances of a world crown.

The Swede’s situation is, however, very different in the DTM. Ekström has had a difficult season, with no victories and only two podium finishes, and lies in seventh place in the Drivers’ standings with 82 points, 88 behind leader Marco Wittmann and with no options to the title.

Mattias Ekström was quoted last week saying: “If Barcelona [WRX] works out, I’m going to talk to my bosses the following week to see what we’re going to do about the clash.”

Audi Sport reserve driver in the DTM is Antonio Giovinazzi, runner up in last year’s European Formula 3 championship and currently in GP2. The young Italian already stood in for Timo Scheider in Moscow last year, after the 2008 and 2009 champion was excluded for the “schieb ihn raus” incident.