The world’s greatest ever rally driver, Frenchman Sebastien Loeb, and New Zealand’s most successful rally driver Hayden Paddon are the latest stars confirmed for next year’s Race Of Champions 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).
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.
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 have 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 ROC 2022 in Sweden after beating Sebastian Vettel in the final.
What Sebastien Loeb, nine-time World Rally Champion, said:
“I very much look forward to competing in the first ever Race Of Champions in Australia,” said Loeb. I won Rally Australia once (2004) and I have so many good memories from the Race Of Champions.”
“Competing and winning ROC in front of the enthusiastic French fans in Stade de France (2005) ranks as one of my all-time best racing memories and it’s always nice to meet up with the other drivers in such a special atmosphere.”
“I am pretty good at adapting to different types of cars and tracks so my objective is of course to try to win my fifth ROC title now that this great event is back in a big stadium again.”
What Hayden Padden, 2023-2024 European Rally Champion, said:
“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.”
Fredrik Johnsson, Race Of Champions President and Co-Founder, said:
“We are very happy to welcome Sebastien Loeb and Hayden Paddon to the first ever Race Of Champions in Australia, said Johnsson. When it comes to world motorsport there are few bigger names than Sebastien Loeb. He has an incredible record in a range of disciplines and his nine WRC titles and 4 ROC “Champion of Champions” Titles simply speak for themselves,” said Johnsson.
“It’s long overdue that New Zealand will now finally have a team in the ROC Nations Cup for the first time. Hayden has showed how fast he is just clinching his 2nd European Rally Championship title and we now have to decide who his teammate should be to represent New Zealand at ROC Sydney. New Zealand has so many great racing drivers, so it will not be an easy choice.”
“We are excited that the Australian and Kiwi fans will have the chance to see Sebastien and Hayden in action on the spectacular ROC tarmac race track that we will build in Sydney’s former Olympic Stadium. I’m sure their super fast and often sideways driving styles will be a big hit with the fans. ”
Sebastien Loeb – Career Highlights:
9-time WRC Champion (2004 to 2012)
1st – Champion of Champions (ROC) – (2003, 2005, 2008, 2022)
2nd Dakar Rally (2017, 2022, 2023)
3rd Dakar Rally (2024)
WRC – most event wins (80), most podium finishes (120) and most stage wins (939)
1st Extreme E (2022)
Rallycross Gold Medal for France in 2012 X Games
Hayden Paddon – Career Highlights:
European Rally Champion (2023, 2024)
New Zealand Rally Champion (2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Production World Rally Champion (2011)
WRC Argentina victory (2016)
Background on Hayden Paddon
Paddon was introduced to motorsport at a young age when he first started accompanying his father Chris to rallies around New Zealand’s South Island.
Hayden started karting at the age of 6 in a kart welded together by his dad and powered by a chainsaw engine.
Despite the driving lessons from Hayden’s father on the farm from a young age, Hayden got his hands on his first proper car at the age of 13 – a Mini. Hayden stripped it out himself, before competing in his first event, held by the Ashburton Car Club.
He worked three jobs as a teenager to pay for his motorsport and his determination and hard work paid off.
He won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009 before he was PWRC (Production World Rally Championship) champion in 2011.
He returned to win another five national New Zealand titles in 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
In 2016, in the 4th round, the YPF Rally Argentina, Paddon took his, and New Zealand’s, first WRC win by 13.3 seconds from Sébastien Ogier. His co-driver, John Kennard also became the oldest co-driver to win a WRC round at 57 years of age.
ROC Sydney 2025
In what will be the ultimate motorsport experience in Sydney in 2025, fans can expect a festival-like atmosphere surrounding Race Of Champions, with entertainment, activities, and a chance to witness some of the world’s best drivers up close in one of the most stunning cities in the world.
The ROC Nations Cup takes place on Friday March 7, with drivers paired in teams based on nationality to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’.
The Saturday night will see the individual Race Of Champions, when all teamwork goes out of the window and it will be a battle for individual glory and the ‘Champion of Champions’ title.
Next year’s Race of Champions comes two weeks after the 2025 Supercars opener at Sydney Motorsport Park (Feb 21-23) and one week before the opening round of the F1 World Championship in Melbourne (March 13-16).
ROC is renowned for gathering some of the best drivers in the world, including superstars from Formula 1, Le Mans, IndyCar, Nascar, Supercars, World Rally and Rallycross.
Past participants have included Vettel, Schumacher, Loeb, Coulthard, Grönholm and Jenson Button.
Other international stars have included Nascar champions Jimmie Johnson, Kurt and Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, Indy 500 winners Ryan Hunter-Reay, Juan-Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden, Formula E Champion Lucas Di Grassi and Extreme sports star Travis Pastrana.
Hospitality and Track side packages and General Admission Tickets starting from $49.00 for children and $69.00 for adults. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.