On Saturday, Loeb claimed victory in the Race of Champions for the fifth time in his career. This time, the prestigious event was held in Sydney, Australia.
The nine-time World Rally Champion defeated rookie Chaz Mostert in the final. Mostert had stepped in at the last moment to replace Swedish driver Mattias Ekström. Loeb is now the first driver to win the Race of Champions five times. Additionally, he is the first competitor to win both the Nations Cup and the individual race in the same weekend.
On Friday, Loeb and his teammate Victor Martins secured victory in the Nations Cup, defeating the Australian team in the final. Loeb had previously won the individual Race of Champions title in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2022.
“To win the fifth ROC Champion of Champions is great for me. It is also special to become the first driver to win both the ROC Nations Cup and the Champion of Champions at the same event. It really could not have been a better weekend for us,” Loeb said.
“Once we won the Nations Cup, I had achieved something from the event and I could relax and enjoy myself even more. When I first came to the Race Of Champions I was a young driver and every time it is different. But the atmosphere is always the same, everyone is having fun and all the drivers are happy to share and discuss things and enjoy a few drinks.”
Ekström and Didier Auriol have each won the Race of Champions four times, but now Loeb stands alone at the top of that list. In the semi-finals, Loeb defeated young rally star Oliver Solberg.
The Race of Champions was first organised in 1988 by Michèle Mouton and Fredrik Johnson. The event was established in memory of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto, who lost their lives in the Tour de Corse two years earlier.
