EKS Audi Sport head to Mettet with mixed feelings

PHOTO CREDIT: Audi Sport

The EKS Audi Sport drivers are heading to Mettet (Belgium) with mixed feelings. In 2016, Mattias Ekström won the World RX round, but has also had some unpleasant encounters with the tyre walls in previous events. 

“This is one of those strange, artificial race tracks we drive on from time to time,” says Ekström. “Actually, the track has only turnoffs and this massive downhill jump. The racing line is narrow. It’s difficult to achieve a fast lap time and the Joker Lap is so slippery and slow that you feel like you’re stopping.” Overtaking is difficult in Mettet and this has led to EKS Audi Sport focusing on optimizing the race starts, among other things.

Andreas Bakkerud, currently the World RX runner-up trailing Johan Kristoffersson (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden) by 9 points in the drivers' championship standings, ended his test at Mettet at the beginning of 2018 with a crash. 

“I’ll definitely try to avoid that this weekend,” said Bakkerud. “Mettet has always been my weakest round in the World RX to date. I need to improve there and show the consistency I had in my first World RX events in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro.” 

“It’s easy to make a mistake there and crash into the tire walls," Bakkerud adds.

EKS Audi Sport are currently second in the FIA World Rallycross team standings with 80 points (16 points behind the championship leaders PSRX Volkswagen Sweden). While, Andreas Bakkerud is second in the drivers' championship and Mattias Ekström 6th overall.