Mattias Ekström: “The rivalry in the team is good”

Mattias Ekström achieved a comfortable victory in the Pool Furious quarter final, with the Swede having led all the sessions at Jarama so far this weekend.

“I had a bit of wheelspin at the start, so lost a bit of reaction time and take off but, after Turn 1, I felt confident all the way,” Ekström explained. “The car was good, so there is nothing more I can say that I feel very happy.”

The battle between team-mate Tom Blomqvist and Hyundai’s Mikel Azcona ensued behind the Swede, who had some time to watch from his rear view mirrors: “I looked behind and saw some action.

“It’s nice to lead and win the races, but sometimes you also miss the battles and the action!” added Ekström.

Ekström is facing a strong challenge from team-mate Adrien Tambay in the championship and with another Cupra driver, Jordi Gené, also tied in points with the Swede so far this weekend.

“It’s good to win and be ahead, but we also have a strong line-up at Cupra and the challenge is good,” Ekström told TouringCarTimes. “It keeps us sharp and also helps the team improve and move forward.”