When the Race of Champions heads to Australia in March 2025, Sébastien Loeb will seek his record-breaking fifth individual crown while Hayden Paddon will represent neighbouring New Zealand for the first time. Both rally drivers confirmed their entries on Wednesday.
Loeb is currently in a three-way tie with Didier Auriol and Mattias Ekström for the most “Champion of Champions” titles at four each. After losing to Marcus Grönholm in the 2003 final, Loeb exacted revenge the following year. From there, he alternated between first and second with another win in 2005 but defeats in 2004 and 2006, the latter to Ekström. He won the 2008 edition over David Coulthard then added his fourth over Sebastian Vettel on the snow in 2022.
At the latest ROC in 2023, Loeb lost to Thierry Neuville in the opening round. He and Adrian Tambay were also knocked out of the first round in the Nations Cup for France. Loeb’s only Nations Cup win came in 2004 with Jean Alesi.
“I won Rally Australia once and I have so many good memories from the Race of Champions,” said Loeb, referring to his 2004 Rally Australia win en route to his first of nine World Rally Championships. Since then, he has mainly focused on rally raids like the Dakar Rally. “Competing and winning ROC in front of the enthusiastic French fans in Stade de France (in 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.”
Paddon will enter the ROC as the twice defending European Rally Champion. The 37-year-old competed in WRC from 2007 to 2022 with a win at the 2016 Rally Argentina.
Although New Zealand has more than its share of star racers like Scott Dixon and Earl Bamber, Paddon is the first Kiwi to do the ROC.
“To be part of the Race of Champions and especially represent the first Team NZ in ROC is a dream come true for me,” Paddon stated. “I’ve been watching the Race of Champions every year since my hero Colin McRae won ROC in Gran Canaria (1998), 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.”
The 2025 Race of Champions is scheduled for 7/8 March. Other confirmed drivers include Germany’s Vettel and Mick Schumacher as well as Australia’s Jamie Whincup and Mick Doohan.
