Sebastian Vettel crowned Champion of Champions

Posted: 21.11.2015
Source: Race of Champions

  • Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has won the Race Of Champions trophy for the first time
  • Vettel prevailed after a win over ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen, who reached his fourth ROC Grand Final
  • Reigning Champion of Champions David Coulthard and Blancpain Endurance Series Champion Alex Buncombe made it as far as the semi-finals
  • Last night’s triumphant ROC Nations Cup winners for Team England 1 Andy Priaulx and Jason Plato both went out in the quarter-finals
  • Susie Wolff bowed out of racing with a defeat to her fellow countryman and Team Scotland partner Coulthard

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel put in a stunning performance to eclipse 19 fellow stars of motor sport and win the Race Of Champions for the first time on a thrilling afternoon of action at London’s former Olympic Stadium.

Following Team England 1’s triumph in last night’s ROC Nations Cup, all cooperation went out of the window today as the individual Race Of Champions pitted many of motor sport’s biggest names in identical cars on a brand new Olympic cycling-style pursuit track.

On a bitterly cold but sunny day at the iconic London venue, the best-of-three Grand Final boiled down to a battle between two of the world’s biggest motor sport legends. But in the end Vettel saw off nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen to become Champion of Champions for the first time.

Vettel had never been in the Race Of Champions Grand Final before, despite his six ROC Nations Cup wins in partnership with Michael Schumacher for Team Germany. Kristensen, by contrast, has been in the Grand Final no less than four times without yet coming out on top.

In the semi-finals, Vettel beat reigning Champion of Champions David Coulthard 2-1 after the Scotsman jumped the start in the deciding heat. The other race saw the end of a spirited run by Blancpain Endurance Series Champion Alex Buncombe, who was beaten 2-0 by Kristensen.

Last night’s triumphant ROC Nations Cup winners for Team England 1 Andy Priaulx and Jason Plato finally paid the price for their celebrations in the last eight, losing to Kristensen and Buncombe respectively.

In the other quarter-finals Vettel saw off the challenge of his Team Germany partner from team-mate from yesterday, 2015 Le Mans winner Nico Hülkenberg. Yet another Formula 1 star went out as Brazil’s Felipe Massa was pipped by Coulthard by just four hundredths of a second.

 

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