When the Race of Champions heads to Australia in March 2025, Sébastien Loeb will search his record-breaking fifth particular person crown whereas Hayden Paddon will signify neighbouring New Zealand for the primary time. Each rally drivers confirmed their entries on Wednesday.
Loeb is presently in a three-way tie with Didier Auriol and Mattias Ekström for essentially the most “Champion of Champions” titles at 4 every. After shedding to Marcus Grönholm within the 2003 last, Loeb exacted revenge the next yr. From there, he alternated between first and second with one other win in 2005 however defeats in 2004 and 2006, the latter to Ekström. He received the 2008 version over David Coulthard then added his fourth over Sebastian Vettel on the snow in 2022.
On the newest ROC in 2023, Loeb misplaced to Thierry Neuville within the opening spherical. He and Adrian Tambay had been additionally knocked out of the primary spherical within the Nations Cup for France. Loeb’s solely Nations Cup win got here in 2004 with Jean Alesi.
“I received Rally Australia as soon as and I’ve so many good reminiscences from the Race of Champions,” mentioned Loeb, referring to his 2004 Rally Australia win en path to his first of 9 World Rally Championships. Since then, he has primarily centered on rally raids just like the Dakar Rally. “Competing and profitable ROC in entrance of the enthusiastic French followers in Stade de France (in 2005) ranks as one in every of my all-time greatest racing reminiscences and it’s all the time good to satisfy up with the opposite drivers in such a particular environment.
“I’m fairly good at adapting to various kinds of automobiles and tracks so my goal is in fact to attempt to win my fifth ROC title now that this nice occasion is again in an enormous stadium once more.”
Paddon will enter the ROC because the twice defending European Rally Champion. The 37-year-old competed in WRC from 2007 to 2022 with a win on the 2016 Rally Argentina.
Though New Zealand has greater than its share of star racers like Scott Dixon and Earl Bamber, Paddon is the primary Kiwi to do the ROC.
“To be a part of the Race of Champions and particularly signify the primary Workforce NZ in ROC is a dream come true for me,” Paddon said. “I’ve been watching the Race of Champions yearly since my hero Colin McRae received ROC in Gran Canaria (1998), all the time hoping that in the future I’d be invited to compete.
“It’s a real honour to have the ability to signify New Zealand and compete towards a few of the better of the most effective. New Zealand has all the time proudly punched above its weight in world motorsport and this might be an opportunity for myself and my teammate, whoever that finally ends up being, to essentially fly the Kiwi flag on the world stage.
“I hope many New Zealand followers will be part of me in Sydney now that this distinctive occasion is coming to this a part of the world for the primary time. March can not come quickly sufficient.”
The 2025 Race of Champions is scheduled for 7/8 March. Different confirmed drivers embrace Germany’s Vettel and Mick Schumacher in addition to Australia’s Jamie Whincup and Mick Doohan.
