Pictured: David Coulthard (L) finishing runner-up to ROC winner Sébastien Loeb in 2008
David Coulthard to compete against no less than three other former or current F1 drivers including Valtteri Bottas, Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel
The 33rd edition of The Race Of Champions will include superstars from F1, World Rallying, Supercars, Rallycross, NASCAR, Extreme E and Dakar
Accor Stadium to be turned into a spectacular side-by-side 1km asphalt race track when this unique event is hosted for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere
The 30-day countdown for the 2025 Race Of Champions at Sydney's Accor Stadium, March 7-8, has been launched with the confirmation of Formula 1 legend David Coulthard as part of the star-studded field.
Coulthard will compete against no less than three other former or current F1 drivers including Valterri Bottas, Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel as well as a host of other motorsport superstars from a variety of disciplines.
They will all go head to head on a spectacular AUD$2 million side-by-side 1km asphalt track which will be hand crafted by a team of local and international engineers to ensure maximum speed and entertainment for the anticipated 50,000-strong crowd.
The Scotsman won 13 F1 races from 1994 to 2008 and was runner-up in the World Driver’s Championship for West McLaren Mercedes in 2001.
Coulthard is one of the highest-profile drivers from Formula 1’s modern era due to his on-track success and his role as one of the sport’s leading commentators.
Coulthard will arrive in Australia for the first Race Of Champions to be held in the Southern Hemisphere well credentialled.
In the 2014 ROC Barbados, Coulthard defeated Jamie Whincup in the Semi-final and in the Final got the better of German Pascal Wehrlein, who had beaten Esteban Ocon in the other Semi-final. Four years later Coulthard again etched his name on the impressive ROC trophy when he beat Norway’s Petter Solberg in the final of ROC Riyadh at King Fahad Stadium in Saudi Arabia (2018).
Coulthard was also runner-up to nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb at Wembley Stadium in 2008, and was semi-finalist in London in 2015 and Bangkok in 2012.
Coulthard has had no shortage of success on Australian shores having won the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in 1997 and again in 2003 for West McLaren Mercedes.
Ironically, the 2003 AGP victory would be his last in an F1 car.
DC, as he is affectionately known throughout the industry, was born and raised in Scotland and began karting at the age of 11 before stepping up to win the British Formula Ford Championship in 1989 as well as finishing third in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.
He finished second in the 1991 British Formula 3 Championship and won the Macau Grand Prix and Masters of Formula 3 before finishing third in the International Formula 3000 championship and beginning his F1 journey as a test driver for Williams in 1993.
He made his F1 debut for Williams in 1994 and the following year won his first grand prix in Portugal before moving to McLaren in 1996 where he spent nine seasons - finishing third in 1997, 1998 and 2000, followed by his next best result of second outright in 2001.
He spent four seasons at Red Bull Racing from 2005-2008 before becoming the team’s test driver in 2009 and then retiring.
The 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), creating a massive month of motorsport in Australia.
In Sydney, Couldthard will be going head to head with no less than:
4-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel
F1 ace, Valtteri Bottas
9-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb
7-time Supercars Champion, Jamie Whincup
Reigning Supercars champion, Will Brown
Extreme E champion, Molly Taylor
11-time X-Games Gold medalist, Travis Pastrana
7-time FIA World Rallycross Champion, Johan Kristoffersson
Former F1 driver, FIA F2 champion and current WEC driver, Mick Schumacher
2-time European Rally Champion, Hayden Paddon
Father and son rally champions, Petter and Oliver Solberg
2-time Dakar winner, Toby Price
NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch
4-time ROC Champion, Mattias Ekström
Young Kiwi Formula star, Louis Sharp
The Race Of Champions will run over two nights with a purpose-built 1km tarmac track taking centre stage at Accor Stadium, Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.
Pictured: David Coulthard (L) finishing runner-up to ROC winner Sébastien Loeb in 2008
What David Coulthard said:
“Race Of Champions reminds all of us who have been lucky enough to take part in the event why we first started racing,” said Coulthard.
“It’s pure competition on track and an amazing camaraderie outside the cars.
“The competition is as tough as it gets and everyone wants to win, but once we finish racing the atmosphere is amazing between all us drivers from different series and generations.
“Even since I retired from full-time racing, I still do a fair bit of driving, notably showcasing the Red Bull F1 Car around the world.
“The snow and ice in Sweden wasn’t my favorite surface, but I’ve always been fast on the ROC asphalt tracks, so I’m aiming for my third ROC Champion of Champions title in Sydney.”
What Fredrik Johnsson, Race Of Champions President and Co-Founder, said:
“‘DC’ (David Coulthard) has been a part of the Race Of Champions family for many years and it is fantastic to have him back for our first event in the Southern Hemisphere in Sydney,” said Johnsson.
“‘DC’ knows how to win and has had plenty of success in ROC and in Australia with two grand prix wins at Albert Park in Melbourne. ‘DC’ won our most recent Race Of Champions on a pure Stadium track at King Fahad Stadium in Riyadh in 2018, and will be a tough opponent to beat for anyone in Sydney.
“David’s personality and ability has seen him develop an incredible fan base all over the world and we could not be happier that his Australian and Kiwi fans will get to see him back in action Down Under.
“The entire field, especially some of the younger guys, are about to find out what Scottish tenacity is all about. I could not think of a more appropriate driver to help us launch our 30-day countdown to our Sydney event at Accor Stadium.”
Hospitality and Trackside packages and General Admission Tickets start from $49.00 for children and $69.00 for adults. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.com.au.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday 7th March - ROC Nations Cup – to Crown the ‘World's Fastest Nation’
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Doors Open 5:30pm
Show Starts 6:30pm*
Race Starts 7:30pm
Saturday 8th March – Race Of Champions – to crown the ‘Champion Of Champions’
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Doors Open 5:30pm
Show Starts 6:30pm*
Race Starts 7.30pm
Keep up with all the latest news at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook and @raceofchampions on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The official hashtag for the event is #ROCSydney
For ticketing and event information www.tegsport.com.au
