- For the first time in its storied 37-year history, the Race of Champions is being hosted right here in Sydney, Australia.
- Participating competitors for the 33rd edition include four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, his fellow F1 alum in Valtteri Bottas and David Coulthard, plus Travis Pastrana.
- The 2025 Race of Champions goes down at Accor Stadium from March 7th to 8th.
As an informal appetiser for the 2025 Formula 1 season opener in Melbourne, the Race of Champions (ROC) is set to go down in Sydney’s Accor Stadium this weekend, which promises to be an equally elite showdown.
Not only will this mark the first time the much-hyped motorsport event has been hosted in Australia, but the first time it’s ever taken place in the Southern Hemisphere, period.
RELATED: INTERVIEW – Jack & Mick Doohan On The “Political Game” Of F1
For the uninitiated, this unique format involves some of the world’s best drivers from almost every manner of racing – F1, World Rally, NASCAR, IndyCar, Le Mans, Touring Cars, even the X-Games – competing head-to-head in identical machinery: headlined by the FC2 Rallycross car and Supercar Lite (along with the KTM X-Bow Comp R, Polaris RZR Pro R, Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86).
This year, the grid has been stacked with the following high-profile names:
- All-Stars
Johan Kristofferson & Chaz Mostert - Australia (Supercars)
Brodie Kostecki & Will Brown - Australia (Offroad)
Molly Taylor & Toby Price - Finland
Valtteri Bottas & Heikki Kovalainen - France
Sebastien Loeb & Victor Martins - Germany
Sebastian Vettel & Mick Schumacher - New Zealand
Hayden Paddon & Louis Sharp - Norway
Oliver Solberg & Petter Solberg - United Kingdom
David Coulthard & Alister McRae - United States
Travis Pastrana & Kurt Busch
The driver who prevails in the fast-paced round robin will be crowned “Champions of Champions”; while the flag that tallies the quickest result will take home the ROC Nations Cup.
Past winners have included the returning Heikki Kovalainen, David Coulthard, WRC GOAT Sebastian Loeb, and four-time F1 champ Sebastian Vettel – who has also won the ROC Nations Cup for Germany with the legendary Michael Schumacher; and now partners the latter’s son Mick – as well as Colin McRae, Juan Pablo Montoya, Romain Grosjean, and sharing tying Loeb and Didier Auriol for a record four victories, Mattias Ekstrom.
RELATED: How Netflix Rewrote The Economics Of Hosting A Formula 1 Grand Prix
The Race of Champions was co-founded by the Queen of Speed herself, rally icon Michele Mouton, way back in 1988; kicking things off at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhery near Paris, France,
As for the 2025 edition in Sydney, the key dates to note are March 7th (ROC Nations Cup) to 8th (the actual Race of Champions). Tickets are still up for grabs, but much like the drivers lining up at the start line, you’d best be quick if you want a decent view at Accor Stadium.
For those of you who wish to watch it from the comfort of your home, however, tune in on Channel 10 at 7:30 PM (AEDT) for both days. Find out more below.
