– The Race of Champions (ROC) is the great showdown of motorsport stars. Drivers from Formula 1, World Rally Championship, NASCAR, IndyCar, touring cars, and sports cars compete directly against each other in identical cars. The next edition will take place on January 9 and 10, 2027, at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington. New Zealand is hosting for the first time.
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Race of Champions 2027 in Wellington
| Topic | Status |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, January 9, 2027 (Nations Cup) and Sunday, January 10, 2027 (Race of Champions) |
| Location | Hnry Stadium, Wellington (New Zealand), 34,500 seats |
| Confirmed drivers | Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, Chaz Mostert, Hayden Paddon (more to follow) |
| Race start | each at 7:30 PM local time, 7:30 AM in Germany on the same day |
| Tickets | Presale from September 21, 2026, general sale from September 22, 2026 at Ticketek New Zealand |
| TV and stream | not yet known |
| Title holder | Sebastien Loeb (individual), France (Nations Cup) |
When and where is the Race of Champions 2027 taking place?
The Race of Champions 2027 will take place on the weekend of January 9 and 10, 2027, in Wellington. The venue is the Hnry Stadium with 34,500 seats, most of which are covered. A special track will be set up inside the stadium for the ROC.
It is the first edition in New Zealand and the second on the Southern Hemisphere. The premiere there was in March 2025 in Sydney. There was no Race of Champions in the calendar year 2026.
On Saturday, the Nations Cup will be contested, followed by the individual tournament for the title “Champion of Champions” on Sunday. On both days, the gates open at 5:30 PM local time. The show starts at 6:30 PM, driver introductions at 7:15 PM. The races start at 7:30 PM, and the event is expected to end around 10:30 PM.
For fans in Germany, this means getting up early. New Zealand is twelve hours ahead of Central European Time in January. The races on Saturday and Sunday therefore start at about 7:30 AM German time.
Who is driving at the Race of Champions 2027?
The field of participants is not yet complete. So far, four drivers have been confirmed. Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver in ROC history. The four-time Formula 1 world champion won the Nations Cup seven times and the individual race in 2015.
Also participating is Valtteri Bottas, a ten-time Grand Prix winner. Chaz Mostert, the reigning Supercars champion, reached the final in Sydney in 2025 against Sebastien Loeb. Rally driver Hayden Paddon will compete at his home event.
The organizer plans to announce more names before the event. It is not yet clear whether defending champion Loeb will compete and with whom Germany will participate in the Nations Cup. We will continuously update the field here.
Where can you watch the Race of Champions 2027 on TV and stream?
Which broadcaster or streaming service will show the Race of Champions 2027 in Germany is not yet known. We will add the broadcast information here as soon as it is confirmed. Due to the time difference, the races will take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings from about 7:30 AM.
How much do tickets for the Race of Champions 2027 cost?
Presale starts on September 21, 2026, general sale on September 22, 2026 via Ticketek New Zealand. A day ticket costs from 49 New Zealand dollars (currently about 25 euros), a weekend pass from 74 New Zealand dollars.
What is the Race of Champions?
The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event where top drivers from very different disciplines compete against each other. There are two competitions: the Nations Cup and the individual tournament.
In the Nations Cup on the first day, teams of two drivers each compete for their country. The competition proceeds in groups and then in a knockout system. In each duel, one driver races against one driver from the opposing team. The first to win two runs advances.
The individual tournament follows on the second day. It is a pure knockout tournament, whose winner receives the title “Champion of Champions”. In 2023, for example, the field was divided into two halves: one with international circuit drivers and one with rally specialists and drivers experienced on snow.
This makes the Race of Champions the only competition where stars from Formula 1, World Rally Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR, sports car, and touring car racing meet directly.
Which cars are driven at the Race of Champions?
All drivers compete in identical cars. The models change from edition to edition because the vehicles must suit the surface. In 2007 at Wembley Stadium, participants drove on asphalt with an Abarth Grande Punto S2000, an Aston Martin Vantage N24, a Ford Focus RS WRC, a ROC buggy, and a Solution-F prototype.
On snow and ice at Pite Havsbad in 2022, however, an FIA RX2e, a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, and the off-roader Polaris RZR were used. The organizer has not yet announced which cars will be used in Wellington in 2027.
Where has the Race of Champions already taken place?
The Race of Champions began in 1988 at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of the World Rally Championship and the memory of Henri Toivonen, who died in 1986 at the Tour de Corse. The first title was won by the later four-time rally world champion Juha Kankkunen.
Initially, the event was reserved for rally drivers only. Hosts included the Nürburgring, Barcelona, Madrid, and from 1992 Gran Canaria. In 1999, the ROC opened up to other disciplines. The same year, the Nations Cup was introduced, which Finland won as the first country.
In 2004, the Race of Champions moved to the Stade de France near Paris and raced for the first time on a pure asphalt track. From 2007, Wembley Stadium in London was the host. There, the series of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel began, who won the Nations Cup for Germany six times in a row: in London (2007 and 2008), Beijing (2009), Düsseldorf (2010 and 2011), and Bangkok (2012).
In 2013, the event was canceled due to political unrest in Thailand. In 2014, it went to Barbados, in 2015 to the London Olympic Stadium. There was no ROC in 2016 because the date was moved from the end of the year to the beginning of the year. Afterwards, Miami (2017), Riyadh (2018), and Mexico City (2019) followed.
In 2020, the Race of Champions took place virtually in a simulator due to the coronavirus pandemic. It paused in 2021. In 2022 and 2023, the stars raced for the first time on snow and ice at Pite Havsbad in Sweden. The event was canceled in 2024 because the use of the terrain in Sweden was uncertain.
In March 2025, the Accor Stadium in Sydney was the host, the first edition in the Southern Hemisphere. Wellington in New Zealand follows in January 2027.
Sydney 2025: Loeb takes the double
The most recent Race of Champions was won by Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman prevailed in the final of the individual tournament against local hero Chaz Mostert. Before that, he had already won the Nations Cup for France with Victor Martins, in the final against the Australian team with Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown. More about this in the report from the Race of Champions 2025.
All winners of the Race of Champions
Champion of Champions: all winners
| Year | Venue | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sydney (Australia) | Sebastien Loeb (France) |
| 2024 | not held | – |
| 2023 | Pite Havsbad (Sweden) | Mattias Ekström (Sweden) |
| 2022 | Pite Havsbad (Sweden) | Sebastien Loeb (France) |
| 2021 | not held | – |
| 2020 | virtual | Timmy Hansen (Sweden) |
| 2019 | Mexico City (Mexico) | Benito Guerra (Mexico) |
| 2018 | Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) | David Coulthard (Great Britain) |
| 2017 | Miami (USA) | Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) |
| 2016 | not held | – |
| 2015 | London (Great Britain) | Sebastian Vettel (Germany) |
| 2014 | Bushy Park (Barbados) | David Coulthard (Great Britain) |
| 2013 | canceled (Bangkok) | – |
| 2012 | Bangkok (Thailand) | Romain Grosjean (France) |
| 2011 | Düsseldorf (Germany) | Sebastien Ogier (France) |
| 2010 | Düsseldorf (Germany) | Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal) |
| 2009 | Beijing (China) | Mattias Ekström (Sweden) |
| 2008 | London (Great Britain) | Sebastien Loeb (France) |
| 2007 | London (Great Britain) | Mattias Ekström (Sweden) |
| 2006 | Paris (France) | Mattias Ekström (Sweden) |
| 2005 | Paris (France) | Sebastien Loeb (France) |
| 2004 | Paris (France) | Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) |
| 2003 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Sebastien Loeb (France) |
| 2002 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Marcus Grönholm (Finland) |
| 2001 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Harri Rovanperä (Finland) |
| 2000 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Tommi Mäkinen (Finland) |
| 1999 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Didier Auriol (France) |
| 1998 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Colin McRae (Great Britain) |
| 1997 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Carlos Sainz (Spain) |
| 1996 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Didier Auriol (France) |
| 1995 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Francois Delecour (France) |
| 1994 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Didier Auriol (France) |
| 1993 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Didier Auriol (France) |
| 1992 | Gran Canaria (Spain) | Andrea Aghini (Italy) |
| 1991 | Madrid (Spain) | Juha Kankkunen (Finland) |
| 1990 | Barcelona (Spain) | Stig Blomqvist (Sweden) |
| 1989 | Nürburgring (Germany) | Stig Blomqvist (Sweden) |
| 1988 | Montlhéry (France) | Juha Kankkunen (Finland) |
Nations Cup: all winners since 2004
| Year | Winning team | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | France | Sebastien Loeb, Victor Martins |
| 2023 | Norway | Petter Solberg, Oliver Solberg |
| 2022 | Norway | Petter Solberg, Oliver Solberg |
| 2020 (virtual) | All-Stars | James Baldwin, Romain Grosjean |
| 2019 | Nordic | Johan Kristoffersson, Tom Kristensen |
| 2018 | Germany | Rene Rast, Timo Bernhard |
| 2017 | Germany | Sebastian Vettel (alone after Pascal Wehrlein’s accident) |
| 2015 | England | Jason Plato, Andy Priaulx |
| 2014 | Nordic | Tom Kristensen, Petter Solberg |
| 2012 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2011 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2010 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2009 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2008 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2007 | Germany | Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel |
| 2006 | Finland | Heikki Kovalainen, Marcus Grönholm |
| 2005 | Scandinavia | Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen |
| 2004 | France | Jean Alesi, Sebastien Loeb |
The first Nations Cup was won by Finland in 1999. Until 2003, mixed teams of rally, circuit, and motorcycle riders competed.
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Who has won the Race of Champions the most times?
The record winner in the individual tournament is Sebastien Loeb. The nine-time rally world champion won the title five times: 2003, 2005, 2008, 2022, and 2025. On his way to his fourth title, he defeated Sebastian Vettel in the 2022 final.
Didier Auriol and Mattias Ekström each have four titles. Auriol dominated in the 1990s, winning in 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1999. Ekström won three titles in four years between 2006 and 2009 and won again in 2023 at his home event in Sweden, in the final against Mick Schumacher.
Stig Blomqvist, Juha Kankkunen, and David Coulthard have each won twice.
In the Nations Cup, Germany is the clear number one with eight titles. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel won six times in a row from 2007 to 2012. In 2017, Vettel won the title alone after Pascal Wehrlein’s accident. In 2018, he did not start; instead, René Rast and Timo Bernhard won the final against Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves from Team Latin America.
With seven Nations Cup wins and one individual title, Vettel is the most successful driver in ROC history.
Memorable moments at the Race of Champions
The Race of Champions has produced many unforgettable moments in its history. A selection:
Colin McRae finally celebrates a win in 1998
Colin McRae was a regular at the Race of Champions in the 1990s and finished second in 1992, 1995, and 1997. In 1998, he finally succeeded. In the final on Gran Canaria, he faced his younger brother Alister and won 2:1. On the way there, he defeated Miki Biasion and Didier Auriol.
The 1995 rally world champion competed three more times after that. After his death in 2007, the Race of Champions paid him an emotional tribute the same year and displayed his Subaru Impreza 555, with which he became world champion.
Beijing 2009: first host outside Europe
In 2009, China was the first country outside Europe to host. At the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, there was, in addition to the Nations Cup and individual tournament, a legends competition with greats like Mick Doohan, Johnny Herbert, and Andy Priaulx. There was also a competition only for Chinese drivers. In the individual tournament, the semifinal between Vettel and Schumacher took place, which the seven-time Formula 1 world champion won.
Pascal Wehrlein crashes in Miami 2017
Pascal Wehrlein had to withdraw after a serious accident on the first day in 2017. In a duel with Felipe Massa, he went off the track, crashed into Massa’s car, and flipped into the barrier. Wehrlein suffered a back injury and missed the first two races of the 2017 Formula 1 season.
Vettel therefore had to compete alone for Germany. Nevertheless, he won the Nations Cup and defeated Kurt and Kyle Busch from Team USA in the final.
Sim-racer Lucas Blakeley beats Vettel
In 2022, it became clear that Vettel is not unbeatable. Lucas Blakeley from Team Sim Racing All Stars won a run against him in the Nations Cup. In the fully electric RX2e, he was 0.080 seconds faster with 1:02.281 minutes. Germany won the duel 2:1, but Blakeley had only 20 minutes of real track experience before the event.
In 2023, he followed up. With the sim-racing team, he knocked Finland out of the Nations Cup. He won a run against Valtteri Bottas by 4.027 seconds and against Mika Häkkinen by more than seven seconds. Because his team had the better overall time, it advanced to the next round. There, it was over against Germany.
Frequently asked questions about the Race of Champions
What is the Race of Champions? An annual motorsport event where stars from various racing series compete against each other in identical cars. It consists of the Nations Cup and the individual tournament for the title “Champion of Champions”.
When is the next Race of Champions? On January 9 and 10, 2027, at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.
Is Sebastian Vettel driving at the Race of Champions 2027? Yes, Vettel is among the first confirmed drivers. It is not yet clear with whom Germany will compete in the Nations Cup.
What time does the Race of Champions 2027 air in Germany? The races start at 7:30 PM local time. That is about 7:30 AM German time on Saturday and Sunday.
Where can you watch the Race of Champions 2027? The TV and streaming information for Germany is not yet known. We will add it here as soon as it is confirmed.
Which cars are driven at the Race of Champions? All drivers use identical cars. The models change depending on the edition and surface. They are not yet known for 2027.
Who won the last Race of Champions? Sebastien Loeb won the individual tournament in Sydney in 2025 and the Nations Cup with Victor Martins for France.
Who has won the Race of Champions the most times? Sébastien Loeb with five individual titles. Germany holds the record in the Nations Cup with eight wins.
Why was there no Race of Champions in 2024 and 2026? The event was canceled in 2024 because the use of the terrain in Sweden was uncertain. After Sydney in March 2025, Wellington in January 2027 is the next edition; therefore, there was no ROC in the calendar year 2026.
Has the Race of Champions already taken place in Germany? Yes. In 1989 at the Nürburgring and in 2010 and 2011 at the Düsseldorf Arena.
More about the Race of Champions
Race of Champions 2025: Loeb takes double, Schumacher and Vettel out early
Race of Champions 2023: Ekström wins against Schumacher
Pascal Wehrlein: horror crash at the Race of Champions
Race of Champions in Mexico: chronology of the Nations Cup
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