Cupra: Sporty milestone in the company's history 🎥
CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE ETCR Mattias Ekström and the Cupra team showed nerves of steel at the ETCR showdown in France and captured the inaugural championship title in the electric touring car series.
There was a collision on the first corner - but everyone in the Cupra team was still cheering at the end.
At the season finale of the racing series for all-electric touring cars in Pau-Arnos, France, the Swede and his team CUPRA X Zengő Motorsport put all their experience to good use and secured the title. After five race weekends in his debut season, the 43-year-old is the "King of the Season" in the Pure ETCR and has made motorsport history.
Double blow in the championship
At the same time, Cupra was the measure of all things in electric touring car racing with the up to 500 kW (680 hp) e-racer winning the manufacturers' championship. The successes were also hard-earned on the last race weekend.
The champion was all the happier as he finished four points ahead of his closest rival Jean-Karl Vernay in a Hyundai Veloster.
Mattias Ekström: "It's a fantastic feeling to be 'King of the Season' and to have won the first title in an electric touring car. The competition was at a very high level, but as a team we were always at the front and did a very good job."
Collision on the first lap
For Ekström, who had traveled to the final as the leader, everything initially went according to plan on his way to the title. The former DTM and rallycross champion prevailed in his two battles with two representatives of each of the three brands and was also ahead in the subsequent time trial.
This secured him pole position for the final race and created the best conditions for winning the title - especially as his toughest title rival Vernay behind him and the Austrian Philipp Eng in an Alfa Romeo only started from third place.
Nevertheless, things got dramatic once again, as Ekström and Eng collided in the first corner of the race, spun and each suffered a puncture. Eng had to retire due to the damage suffered, while the Cupra X Zengő Motorsport team was able to repair Ekström's e-Racer in no time at all.
The Cupra driver returned to the track in fifth place - exactly the position he needed to win the title. The Swede was not fazed by Vernay's lead, who finished runner-up four points behind.
Credit to the whole team
After his fifth place, Ekström was crowned the first champion of the new racing series. The two team-mates Mikel Azcona and Jordi Gené rounded off the strong Cupra result. They finished third and fourth overall with 300 and 260 points respectively.
Mattias Ekström: "It was a pleasure to work with my team and my three driver colleagues Mikel, Jordi and Dani. It's never easy to win titles because you need people who are motivated and committed. When I think about the dedication Cupra has shown me, they deserve the title more than I do. Because they have put this project together over the past few years."
