In the space of one hour following his triumph last Sunday at Hockenheim the new DTM Champion, Mattias Ekström, received almost one hundred text messages and over 50 phone calls. Countless others offering their congratulations followed within the next few days.

Today, the Swede received personal congratulations from the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg’s top representative: Minister President Günther H. Oettinger met Ekström during his walkabout on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre and shook the hand of the new Champion.
 
"It was an honour for me to meet the Minister President. At moments like these I feel a particular joy about my title," beamed Mattias Ekström after the spontaneous meeting at the stand of Audi AG in hall 7. The DTM Champion spent an afternoon in Stuttgart, giving interviews and signing autographs for his fans.
 
With a third place at the DTM season’s finale at Hockenheim Mattias Ekström had secured the title in the most popular international touring car series last weekend in front of a crowd of 152,000 spectators.

After clinching the title in 2004, this marks the Swedish Audi factory driver’s second triumph. With Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, which in addition to Ekström includes the third in the Championship, Martin Tomczyk, Audi also captured the team title.