Supercars ace Chaz Mostert and British and FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Alister McRae are late inclusions for the 2025 Race Of Champions Accor Stadium spectacular.
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
Tickets from $49 on sale now through Ticketek
Supercars ace Chaz Mostert and British Rally ace Alister McRae are late inclusions for the 2025 Race of Champions spectacular at Sydney’s Accor Stadium this Friday and Saturday night.
Mostert, a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner and class winner at the Spa 24-hour and Daytona 24-hour, will be a replacement for Swedish driver Mattias Ekström who has had to withdraw from the event on medical grounds.
McRae will be a late substitution for his son, Max who was set to make his Race Of Champions debut before injuring his wrist in the first round of the British Rally Championship last weekend.
Mostert will now join seven-time Rallycross World Champion Johan Kristoffersson in a Team All Stars combination for Friday night’s ROC Nations Cup while McRae will be a direct replacement for his son at Team Great Britain and partner with former F1 star David Coulthard.
Mostert won the Bathurst 1000 with Paul Morris in 2014 in a last-to-first classic and then won again in 2021 with Lee Holdsworth with Walkinshaw Andretti United, who he currently races with in the Supercars championship.
In the last 10 Supercars championships he has never finished worse than seventh in the title chase and has been third four of the last five seasons. He currently sits third in the 2025 championship after the opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park last week.
It is a big blow for Ekström who is the defending ROC Champion and who would have been shooting for a record fifth individual title in Sydney - the first time ROC has been held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Alister McRae is a former British and FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion. He is the son of five-time British Rally Champion, Jimmy McRae, and the brother of 1995 World Rally Champion, the late Colin McRae.
Ironically, McRae filled in for his brother Colin alongside Coulthard at the 2007 Race of Champions held at Wembley Stadium, following Colin's death just two months earlier.
There will now be eight countries and nine nationalities represented in the ROC Nations Cup on Friday night including Australia (x2), Germany, France, Norway, Great Britain, New Zealand, USA and Finland as well as the new All Stars line-up.
The 20 participating drivers will represent their respective countries/team in the ROC Nations Cup on Friday and then they will go head-to-head for the individual Champion of Champions crown on Saturday night on a spectacular side-by-side 1km asphalt track which is currently in the finishing stages of a seven-day 24/7 construction.
Team Germany, led by four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Former F1 Driver and F2 Champion Mick Schumacher, who currently competes in WEC, heads the ROC Nations Cup line-up.
As host nation, Australia will be represented by two teams. The first will be Team Australia Supercars headed by seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup and reigning title holder Will Brown, while Team Australian Off-Road will comprise rally ace Molly Taylor and two-time Dakar winner, Toby Price.
All 20 drivers will battle it out Head-to-Head in 2 identical cars in each heat. They have to prove themselves in a range of six vehicles including the FC2 Rallycross, Supercar Lite Rallycross, KTM X-Bow Comp R, Polaris RZR Pro R, Subaru BRZ tS and Toyota GR86 Cup machines.
The Race Of Champions comes one week before the opening round of the F1 World Championship in Melbourne (March 13-16), creating a massive two weeks of motorsport in Australia.
What Chaz Mostert said:
“The Race Of Champions is such an iconic event and I was quite envious of everyone who was announced in the original line-up,” said Mostert.
“The call to replace Mattias Ekström came from left field, but it was a pretty cool call to receive. I feel sorry for Mattias that he cannot make the trip to defend his Champion of Champions trophy and shoot for a record fifth title, but hopefully I can do the new-look All Stars team justice.
“Johan (Kristoffersson) is obviously an incredible driver with seven world rallycross titles to his name and I am looking forward to teaming with him in the ROC Nations Cup.
“Saturday is going to be a bit surreal racing head-to-head with legends the likes of (Sebastian) Vettel, (David) Coulthard, Sebastien (Loeb) and Kurt Busch, but I cannot wait to get out there and give the local Australian crowd some extra to cheer about.”
What Mattias Ekström said:
“It is with a heavy heart that I need to withdraw from Race Of Champions 2025,” said Ekström.
“I was really looking forward to racing in Sydney, but last week, during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, I felt unwell and had to abandon the race.
“Unfortunately, I’m still not fit enough to make the long trip to Australia and be able to compete at the highest level.
“I wish everyone a great race in Sydney and may the best champion win.”
What Max McRae said:
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from the Race Of Champions this year,” said Max McRae.
“We have been keeping an eye on my hand, hoping that it would recover in time.
“Unfortunately I have been advised by doctors that I should not drive until it is healed.
“Since I cannot make it, my father Alister will fill in for me. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
What Alister McRae, said:
“I’m really disappointed for Max,” said Alister McRae.
“We hoped his injured hand would recover quickly, but unfortunately it’s not there yet.
“I’m obviously happy to be representing Team GB alongside DC (Coulthard), and looking forward to competing and putting on a good show in Sydney on Friday night.”
What Fredrik Johnsson, Race Of Champions President and Co-Founder, said:
“It is so disappointing for Mattias (Ekström) and Max (McRae), but their health is the number one priority and we wish them the fastest possible recovery,” said Johnsson.
“Fortunately we have managed to find two great replacement drivers on short notice in Chaz (Mostert) and Alister (McRae).
“Alister and David Coulthard represented Team GB at the ROC Nations Cup at Wembley Stadium in the past and I imagine that the Australian fans will have no issue with another local driver to cheer for, especially one as talented and as popular as Chaz.”
2025 ROC NATIONS CUP - FINAL TEAMS LINE-UP
Team Germany
Sebastian Vettel (GER) - 4-time Formula 1 World Champion
Mick Schumacher (GER) - FIA F2 and F3 Champion, Former F1 driver. Current WEC Driver
Team Australia Supercars
Jamie Whincup (AUS) 7-time Supercars Champion
Will Brown (AUS) - 2024 Supercars Champion (AUS)
Team Australia Off-Road
Molly Taylor (AUS) - Australian Rally Champion & 2021 and 2024 Extreme E Champion
Toby Price (AUS) - 2 X Dakar winner on Bikes, 2024 Baja 500 winner in Truck
Team Great Britain
David Coulthard (UK) - 13-time Formula 1 Grand Prix Winner, 2014 & 2018 ROC Champion
Alister McRae (UK) - British Rally Champion, FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion
Team All Stars
Johan Kristoffersson (SWE) - 7-time FIA World Rallycross Champion, Extreme e Champion
Chaz Mostert (AUS) - 2-time Bathurst 1000 winner, class winner Spa 24-Hour, Daytona 24-hour.
Team New Zealand
Hayden Paddon (NZ) - 2023 & 2024 European Rally Champion, seven-time NZ Rally Champion
Louis Sharp (NZ) - 2024 GB3 Champion, 2023 British F4 Champion
Team USA
Travis Pastrana (USA) - 11-time X-Games Gold Medalist, 6-time Rally America Champion, Nitrocross Champion
Kurt Busch (USA) - 2004 NASCAR Champion, 2017 Daytona 500 winner
Team Norway (Defending ROC Nations Cup Champions)
Petter Solberg (NOR) - Rally World Champion and 2-time Rallycross World Champion
Oliver Solberg (NOR / SWE)* - 2024 WRC2 runner-up, Winner 2025 WRC2 Rally Sweden
* Oliver will represent Norway in ROC Nations Cup / Sweden in Race Of Champions
Team France
Sebastien Loeb (FRA) - 9-time Rally World Champion, 4-time ROC Champion
Victor Martins (FRA) - 2022 F3 Champion, 2020 F Renault Champion. ART F2 Driver 2025.
Team Finland
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) - 10-time Formula 1 Grand Prix Winner
Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) - Formula 1 Grand Prix Winner and 2004 ROC Champion
ROC SYDNEY 2025
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 (March 8) 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.
ROC is renowned for gathering some of the best drivers in the world, including superstars from Formula 1, Le Mans, Nascar, Supercars, World Rally and Rallycross.
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.
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