Sebastien Loeb is once again the ROC champion, France wins the Nations Cup
The Marseillaise rang out twice during the prizegiving ceremony at Sydney’s Accor Stadium at the end of last weekend’s 33rd edition of the famous “Race of Champions,” the event which sees champions from various motorsport disciplines go head-to-head in identical cars, battling to win the Nations Cup and the title of Champion of Champions.
Nine-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb became the first person to win categories. Not only did he take the individual title, but along with fellow countryman, Formula 2 driver Victor Martins, he clinched the Nations Cup for France. Like all 20 competitors, the rallying legend was able to count on tyres with which he is very familiar, as the various types of car used throughout the ROC were fitted with Pirelli tyres.
This was the first time the Italian company has been the event’s Official Supplier, providing the rubber for all cars (rallycross, rear wheel drive and off-road) with a range of 15 to 18 inch tyres, used in GT championships and, up to the end of last year, in the FIA World Rally Championship.
On Friday night, the French duo (51 year old Loeb and 23 year old Martins) beat the Australian pair of Will Brown and Chaz Mostert in the final “Nations Cup” challenge over a one kilometre long course inside the stadium. Martins, a former Formula 3 champion who races in Formula 2 this weekend in Melbourne, took the decisive win by a whisker, two tenths of a second to be precise, from local hero Brown, by jumping the Pirelli-branded bridge that featured on the track.
The following day, Sebastien Loeb beat Australian rookie Mostert in the final, to become the first driver ever to win both titles on offer at the Race of Champions, as well as being the most successful in this event which he has now won five times.
This year’s event was the first to be held in Australia and those taking part included former Formula 1 drivers, David Coulthard, Sebastian Vettel, Heikki Kovalainen, Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher, rally stars Hayden Paddon and Petter Solberg and rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson.
