.jpg "World RX: Mattias Ekström takes Neureuther for a ride on ice with Audi S1 EKS RX 9")
Audi Press Release
- Audi quattro challenge in run-up to the Hahnenkamm Race
- German slalom ace ‘tests’ Mattias Ekström’s Audi S1 EKS RX
Felix Neureuther: “Sensational experience”Ingolstadt/Kitzbühel, January 24, 2015 – A hot test drive in cold Tyrol: On the occasion of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup in Kitzbühel, slalom ace Felix Neureuther did a few laps at the wheel of DTM star Mattias Ekström’s Audi S1 EKS RX. In a slalom practice with a difference, the skiing star demonstrated that he is a fast learner.
Not far from the legendary ‘Streif’ high-speed downhill course, the two professional athletes found perfect conditions for a new Audi quattro challenge event in the run-up to the Hahnenkamm Race. Ekström served as instructor for the skiing star in the 412 kW (560 hp) Audi S1 EKS RX in which the Swede had won his home round in the FIA World Rallycross Championship last year.
The two-time DTM Champion initially demonstrated the possibilities of the rallycross car and subsequently guided Neureuther across the slippery course with precise commands. Accompanied by the sound of roaring engines, exuberant laughter and loud cheers, the Slalom World Cup leader performed spectacular drifts during which he was able to experience the superiority and safety of quattro drive at the limit.
“This was really great fun today, although I had to sit in the passenger’s seat most of the time,” Ekström said with a wink. “But I just got carried away by the enthusiasm that Felix tackled this challenge with. He did a very good job. After this experience, he knows the optimum cornering position and appreciates how 560 hp and quattro drive feel on snow and ice.”
Neureuther, with a broad grin on his face, said: “I could acquire a taste for this type of slalom. Eki pushed me incredibly hard, so I had maximum fun. This was the craziest ‘final practice’ I’ve ever had and a sensational experience. If not before, I’m now definitely set for the slalom on Sunday.”
Mattias Ekström has to wait a little longer for his first race of the season. The FIA World Rallycross Championship starts at Montalegre (Portugal) on April 25/26, followed by the 2015 DTM season opener at the Hockenheimring (Germany) a week later.
