Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli has been confirmed as the official tyre supplier for the 2025 Race of Champions in Sydney.
By Nida Anis
This year’s event, held at the Accor Stadium, marks the 33rd edition of the Race of Champions. Since 1998, the “championship of championships” has been held in 11 countries, visiting iconic venues such as London, Peking, Mexico City, Bangkok, Miami, Gran Canaria, Pitea, and Barbados. 2025 marks the first time the Race of Champions has competed in the continent of Oceania.
Previous editions of this event have featured iconic drivers from numerous disciplines of motorsport, such as Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastian Loeb, Jeff Gordon, and Josef Newgarden. Vettel and Loeb will return for the 2025 edition where they will compete against reigning Australian Supercars champion Will Brown, seven-time WRX champion Johan Kristofferson, 2004 NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, and Mattias Ekström – the most successful Race of Champions competitor to date.
The Nations Cup will take place on Friday 7 March, with the individual competition following on Saturday 8 March to decide the Champion of Champions.
Race of Champions partnership “a great opportunity”
Competitors will go head-to-head in four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars on two parallel tracks created within the Accor Stadium. All cars will be supplied form the range used in the FIA World Rally Championship up until the end of 2024, as well as those used on-track in GT races. Tyre sizes vary from 15″ to 18″ and each compound has been selected with to allow drivers to put on the best possible show.
Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola spoke enthusiastically about partnering with such “a unique event”. “[The Race of Champions] sees drivers from very different disciplines compete on equal terms, highlighting their talent and providing a very exciting show,” he said. “For Pirelli, this partnership is a great opportunity to be associated with an event which is now a traditional fixture on the motorsport calendar, and which, this year, is taking place for the first time in Australia.”
President and Owner of the Race of Champions, Fredrik Johnsson, echoed Isola’s thoughts. “We are very pleased to welcome Pirelli as the official tyre supplier to the Race of Champions World Final in Sydney. We spoke at length with Mario (Isola) about how well Pirelli and the Race of Champions go together, and of the many activation opportunities we will be able to develop together to celebrate two iconic elements of motorsport: the brand and Pirelli tyres.
“We hope that the ROC Sydney will be the start of a long and mutually successful partnership.”
Header photo credit: Pirelli
