Race of Champions commits to ice-based 2022 event

Organisers of the Race of Champions have announced plans for the event to return in January 2022 at a new location close to the Arctic Circle.

The event pitches drivers from various motorsport disciplines against each other in head-to-head group and knockout format in order to find a Champion of Champions.

The Race of Champions was first held in 1988 and in 2004 switched to a stadium-based event, taking place in locations including Paris, London and Beijing.

It was most recently held at Mexico City’s Foro Sol, part of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, in January 2019.

On Thursday organisers revealed plans to revive the event on the Baltic Sea at the Pite Havsbad complex, Sweden, just 60 miles from the Arctic Circle.

It was stressed that the event will be able to take place Covid-safe if the pandemic is still ongoing in 12 months’ time.

“After organising the Race Of Champions in some of the most prestigious venues like the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing, Stade de France in Paris, Wembley Stadium and London’s Olympic Stadium, it is a huge honour to be able to bring our event to my home country Sweden for the first time,” said Race Of Champions President and co-founder, Fredrik Johnsson.

“At ROC we are always looking for ways to put new exciting tests in front of some of the world’s top race drivers.

“In the past, that might have been a very tight track inside a stadium, but this time we will be able to build a longer, wider more spectacular track. “The event will be unlike anything we are used to seeing and be one of the ultimate tests of a driver’s car control.”