Mattias Ekström’s EKS Sport today (March 3) announced it’s entry for the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship with an Audi S1. The announced permanent driver is former Super1600 double FIA European Rallycross Champion Krisztián Szabó. The Hungarian was already racing for the team in an Audi S1 Supercar during the 2018 rounds in France and Latvia.
“Since the beginning of my career, I have been dreaming about racing in the World Championship,” Szabó said. “Mattias Ekstrom announced last year that he will stop racing in 2019, which means he has more time to focus on managing the EKS Sport team.”
For Szabó, after the promising results for the team in France and Latvia in 2s018, it’s like a more or less ‘now or never’ opportunity. “It is going to be different in 2019 with a much more balanced championship,” he continued. “Everyone has a bigger chance, including me. I have one of the best teams and cars behind me. I have the right background – a World championship-winning team, the professional support of Mattias [Ekström] and I feel well-prepared. I know most of the tracks but Abu Dhabi and Spa are unknown for me too. I can’t wait to take on the legendary Eau Rouge. I am also excited to travel to Canada and South Africa, because I have not raced outside of Europe in the past couple of years. It is a now or never for me in 2019 and I start my first World Championship season with title hopes.”
Mattias Ekström added: “I wanted to work together with Krisz[tián Szabó] this season because his results were quite promising last year and I predict a bright future for him. The World RX field has changed for 2019 and I think Krisz[tián Szabó] has a big chance to be one of the best and win many races. This is why I suggested that he races in the World Championship instead of the European Championship. I will help him as the team leader, I still have vivid memories from last year and I believe it will be useful for the team. I think that Krisztian [Szabó] will surprise many people because they still don’t know what he can do.”
The 2019 season will go underway on April 5-6 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.