Hot News Race of Champions

Susie Wolff to rejoin David Coulthard on Team Scotland at ROC 2015

Susie Wolff
Susie Wolff

Williams Martini Racing’s Official Test Driver Susie Wolff has signed up for the 2015 Race Of Champions on November 20-21 at London’s former Olympic Stadium.

Wolff will rejoin forces with David Coulthard for Team Scotland in London following her successful ROC debut last year in Barbados – when the pair reached the final of the ROC Nations Cup. Along the way Wolff impressively won two of her three races in the group stages on her return to competitive action, before the Scottish duo were eventually beaten by Team Nordic’s Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen and reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg in the final.

Now Wolff and Coulthard will be reunited in a bid for revenge, with Kristensen and Solberg’s Team Nordic again among the high class opposition lying in wait. Other teams racing in London include Germany (Sebastian Vettel and Nico Hulkenberg), Australia (Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Doohan), Brazil (Felipe Massa and Nelson Piquet Jr) and England (Jason Plato plus another driver still to be announced).

Originally from Oban in Scotland, Wolff spent seven years racing in Germany’s DTM touring car series before joining the Williams F1 team in April 2012. Now Official Test Driver, she took part in free practice sessions at Barcelona and Silverstone in 2015.

Wolff said: “Last year was a fantastic experience so I’m delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions. It’s a very challenging event, you just go in and try to find the limit as quickly as possible in all the different cars while trying to avoid mistakes – all of it against some of the world’s best drivers. But it was great to have David as my team-mate last year and even better to reach the final of the ROC Nations Cup. Now we can hopefully count on some extra support in London so we’ll try our best to do it again. I can’t wait to get back out there enjoying the adrenalin of racing once more."

The Race Of Champions is an annual end-of-season contest which has been held for over 25 years. It brings together some of the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, World Rally, Le Mans and MotoGP – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

The event is run over two days: first comes the ROC Nations Cup (on the evening of Friday November 20) when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. Then on the afternoon of Saturday November 21 it’s time for the Race Of Champions itself, when teamwork goes out of the window and it’s a flat-out battle for individual glory.

ROC president Fredrik Johnsson said: “We’re very happy to have Susie back in the field for this year’s Race Of Champions. Despite the added pressure of being ROC’s first ever female competitor she made a very successful debut in Barbados last year as she and David reached the ROC Nations Cup final.

“Now it will be fascinating to see if they can reproduce that kind of form in a venue much closer to home. As the second most ‘local’ team in action at London’s former Olympic Stadium, we trust the two of them will receive plenty of support as they aim to repeat the feat."

In recent years ROC has visited the Stade de France in Paris (2004-2006), London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008), the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium in Beijing (2009), Dusseldorf’s Esprit Arena (2010-2011), the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok (2012) and Bushy Park Barbados (2014). Now the contest is returning to its European roots at the iconic home of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Drivers already announced for the 2015 Race Of Champions:

  • Sebastian VETTEL, four-time Formula 1 World Champion
  • Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner
  • Petter SOLBERG, World Rallycross Champion 2014, World Rally Champion 2003
  • David COULTHARD, reigning ROC Champion of Champions
  • Mick DOOHAN, five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion
  • Daniel RICCIARDO, three-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
  • Jorge LORENZO, double MotoGP World Champion
  • Nico HULKENBERG, F1 star and 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner
  • Nelson PIQUET Jr, reigning FIA Formula E Champion
  • Felipe MASSA, 11-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
  • Jason PLATO, double British Touring Car Champion

Susie WOLFF, Williams Martini Racing Official Test Driver