Mattias Ekström will join Ford’s Dakar lineup following his split from Audi last week.
The two-time DTM and 2016 World Rallycross champion joins Carlos Sainz’ in moving over from the Four Rings’ rally raid program to the new M-Sport-led effort.
“Joining the Ford Dakar program is really exciting for me,” said Ekström. “Ford and M-Sport have built a vehicle that looks, sounds, and drives awesome and we all have a common ambition to win the Dakar Rally.
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“I have had four tries at Dakar so far and now I can say that I have some experience to be able to aim for the top. There is also a lot of knowledge and experience in the team to back up the ambition – starting with the long motorsport heritage of Ford, proven track record of M-Sport, very impressive driver line-up, smart engineers, technicians, and the rest of the team. I look forward to the first competitive outing with the Ford Raptor T1+ at Rally du Maroc and later at the Dakar Rally.
“I am in it to win it and I hope we will have very successful and great years ahead of us. I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”
The last three of Ekström’s four Dakar attempts have been with Audi, with whom he’s taken four stage wins and led a day of this year’s event before broken suspension derailed his chances of a victory.
“We have followed Mattias’ career for a long time, from his DTM days to the FIA World Rallycross, and now the Dakar Rally,” said M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson. “He has shown fantastic speed and ability in all forms of motorsport and his performances in off-road racing have been no different.
“We are really looking forward to working with him and his co-driver Emil (Berkvist), who both will bring with them a vast array of experience.”
As well as Ekström and Sainz, the Ford lineup will also comprise Mitch Guthrie and Nani Roma in a quartet of Ford Raptor T1+s in the Saudi Arabia-based event next year.
Aside from Ford and M-Sport’s lengthy World Rally Championship tenure, Ford’s off-road credentials also includes victories in the Baja 1000 and Tass-Finke desert race.
“Bringing Mattias Ekström into the Ford Performance family is a big step forward for our Dakar program,” said Ford Performance’s global director Mark Rushbrook. “Mattias brings a wealth of experience in rally and off-road racing, and his skills add to a formidable team in the Ford Raptor T1+.
“The Dakar Rally is a test like no other, but we’re confident in our lineup.”