Paddon and Loeb confirmed for 2025 Race of Champions in Australia

The world’s greatest ever rally driver, Frenchman Sébastien Loeb, and New Zealand’s most successful rally driver Hayden Paddon are the latest stars confirmed for next year’s Race Of Champions (ROC) event in the Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park from March 7-8.

Loeb won no less than nine consecutive World Rally Championships and will be chasing his fifth Champion of Champions ROC title at Accor Stadium in Sydney.

Not only did Loeb win nine WRC crowns, he also holds the record for the most WRC event wins (80), most podium finishes (120) and stage victories (939).

Sebastien Loeb

Last year, Hayden Paddon became the first non-European to be crowned European Rally Champion and he backed up that effort when he recently clinched back-to-back titles for Hyundai securing the 2024 ERC Title in the final event in Poland.

“To be part of the Race Of Champions and especially represent the first Team NZ in ROC is a dream come true for me,” said Paddon. “I’ve been watching the Race Of Champions every year since my hero Colin McRae won ROC in Gran Canaria, always hoping that one day I would be invited to compete.

“It’s a true honour to be able to represent New Zealand and compete against some of the best of the best. New Zealand has always proudly punched above its weight in world motorsport and this will be a chance for myself and my teammate, whoever that ends up being, to really fly the Kiwi flag on the world stage.

“I hope many New Zealand fans will join me in Sydney now that this unique event is coming to this part of the world for the first time. March cannot come soon enough.”

Paddon is regarded as one of the most proactive and fan-friendly competitors in local and world rallying and will be chasing his eighth national title in the International Rally of Whangarei from November 8-10.

ROC Sydney will be the first time that New Zealand has a team competing in the ROC Nations Cup and Paddon’s teammate will be announced in the lead up to the event.

The announcement of Loeb and Paddon comes after the recent confirmation of a German “super team” of Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher for next year’s showcase Sydney event, which will also include seven-time Australian Supercars champion Jamie Whincup and many other superstars from around the world.

The Race Of Champions will run over two nights with a purpose built 1 kilometer tarmac track taking centre stage at Accor Stadium, Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.

Loeb currently drives part time in the WRC for M-Sport Ford World Rally Team and full-time in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for Dacia, finishing second in the recent Rallye du Maroc in his first event for the team.

He has also been a regular starter in the grueling Dakar Rally since 2016 and finished second in the event in 2017, 2022 and 2023 before finishing third this year.

Further proving his versatility, Loeb joined the World Touring Car Championship with Citroen Total in 2014 and during two seasons finished with six wins and 20 podiums, finishing third in the title chase both years.

Loeb’s impressive record at the Race Of Champions includes being crowned the individual Champion of Champions no less than four times.

His first triumph came at Gran Canaria in 2003, defeating Marcus Grönholm in the Grand Final.

He repeated the feat in Paris at the expense of Tom Kristensen (2005) and at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2008 against David Coulthard.

Then he pulled off another overall victory in 2022 at ROC Sweden after beating Sebastian Vettel in the final.

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